8 - Weight of Command


Ontari had gathered the Nightbloods with her as they ate their meal in the common area. Abby had returned along with Raven and Murphy. Their report had been delivered earlier to a small group of Coalition Members. To say that the situation was bad was an understatement. Given that a chained Jaha had been brought before the group along with several of Skaikru who had done research on the amount of Radiation exposure to help plot a course of action spoke of the range the sickness was spreading. Most of the knowledge was over her head, but at every moment she needed to learn more about this foe and how it move and fought. But the meeting she was still reeling from as a course of action had been decided on.

Ontari thought back on the events and realized the part she would play in the days to come.

"We are talking Daiichi situation bad with these reactors, Three Mile with others and with the worse burners we are talking at least Chernobyl grade damage with Elephant Foot slag leaking from the reactor cores." Raven spoke as she showed the data to a chained Jaha. Ontari didn't know what those words meant, but from the look on the faces of Skaikru it was worse than she thought. Just seeing the blood drain from Jaha's face did cheer her up, but the seriousness of his reaction spoke volumes as he wished that if the gods had the power for him to undo all the wrongs he did, maybe destroying Alie was on that list right next to not sentencing Sharlot of Skiakru to the dungeons for her minor crimes against their people.

"Daini in its crisis still had power in its sections. Is there a chance for us to do a reroute of power to keep the system stable on the ones that haven't gone critical?" Jaha said realizing that his bits of knowledge, though considered biased, were no longer biased through the lens of the City of Light being a place of safety. No this was a man driven to at least put some things right before Death sought out his sorry little ass to drag him to the underworld.

"If the data was there, Alie ignored it considering it irrelevant." An older female Skaikru Kanic spoke as she looked haggared from looking through the records Alie had kept on her final weapon. "Though I don't think she had the ability to send her drones underwater. Most of her research was done through looking at the equipment readings at each station and a visual inspection of the holding pools." The woman spoke. "If we had the power, we would still need to make a visual inspection of the intake tunnels that were supplying water to the holding pools. Only by looking at those tunnels and seeing what state they were in we would at least have a chance to use them to cool down the remaining material in the reactors."

"So pretty much screwed for anyone involved if they want to take a swim up into the hearts of those beasts." Murphy spoke as he moved through the piles of information they had brought back. "I mean if we had control of Alie's drones, or at least had a way to convert one of them into a submersible boat, there is no way in the time we have to put out all of the fires."

"Well, what if we put out some of the fires... I mean, Bekka knew that there were survivors on the ground. What if we get the poison down to a level where at least it would be like the time of the Great Burn?" Emori spoke up as she headed over the pile of documents that been brought with them.

"Emori, we are approaching that level in the next four months. Even then the levels were going down." Clarke spoke her words. "It took another twenty years for the radiation to reach current levels to where those who Bekka saved were able to freely move about the lands."

This is when Ontari started speaking. "The Mountain Men survived."

"Yes, but their bodies were set up for the old radiation levels before Alie sent the Nukes flying. Even then they had to harvest our bone marrow even for them to have a chance to leave the mountain." Clarke stated as she motioned to the members of Skaikru present.

"But what if we worked on Blood forging. Use the knowledge Bekka used to help the survivors." Ontari spoke as she started to flip through Bekka's journal. Ontari descendant of Pramheda Bekka wasn't going to let this witch win.

"Wouldn't exactly work, we are talking about dealing with two situations here." Abby spoke standing up and walking over to her. "I checked the levels of Iodine 191 levels Caris's blood and even if we were able to duplicate the Nightblood blood factors throughout as many people we could save. We are stuck with the fact that we have to shelter only so many people as we can till the radiation levels go down. But that doesn't mean that option is off the table, just that the time frame means we have to do it within isn't a viable option. Even if we started it now we have the balance rebuilding the shelters to last the time during this radiation storm, there is no way for us to do both at the same time."

"At the worse we are looking at maximum toxicity of the planet in less than four months." Jaha added. "Though Ontari's comment does bring merit. Bekka did calculate the level of toxicity that is survivable on the surface and for life to thrive in that environment. The Nightblood formula might be able to increase the number of survivors." This had Clarke's attention as she realized that Ontari had a good option on the table, not perfect, but one that could be worked on.

"What if we use a two-pronged attack on this situation? Use the shelters that survived the Great Burn. Equip them the same way that the stations were configured for habitation while they were in the sky. During this time tweak the formula that Bekka used for radiation protection which she used to make the Kru strong, but leave the factors out that make Nightbloods be Nightbloods. Not everyone needs to have the Flame Chip in their heads." Ontari was doing her best not to make her status of being a Nightblood be something trivial but she was trying to save as many lives as she could so she could remove the reference of Death Whore from her name. Though from the looks from the crowd and their past experience in the City of Light that last reference about the chip almost brought a sigh of relief.

On the other side of the coin Ontari was understanding where this was going, they needed to set priorities of what was needing to be done. This was a battle, the set objectives of where to attack were being established against this giant that was coming their way. Though falling back till you had the forces that you needed to win was coming through quite clear. If you knew where the giant was going to step, then you wouldn't be crushed when you decided to slit his heel to bring him to his knees. This is what Ontari had gained from her healing/battle lesson with treating the former Reaper. But this decision of her's to protect the status of the Nightbloods might have opened up an option that might change the tide of battle.

"Not all of the factors, but..." Clarke moved over to pick up her own diary. "Arker genetics and Nightblood genetics share some aspects. That was how I was able to save Ontari's life and use the flame to defeat Alie." Clarke was looking over some notes she had made. "I started to do some research over this after Nia slit Ontari's palm and had her cover my face in her Blood to state her position of power of Lexa." Ontari winced a little at this, but if this started something of interest in Clarke, then maybe it was an option they could use in this fight. "Mostly it started me looking wanting to look over the lore of the Nightbloods with Lexa, checking of tales of the bloodlines that had appeared over the years, but also about some stories about illegitimate children born from the previous Nightbloods and Hedas." This is when Clarke hit a page.

"Most of the Kru bloodlines speak about the first Nightbloods coming into their villages and having huge families, but also they did some basic blood transfusions with the men and women of the village to spread the blood factors around. I think the first Commander was able to create some retrovirus or nanotechnology that allowed for the production of some sort of Radiation inoculation that she had the first Nightbloods spread out like a protective plague. Given what I have been able to learn is that it was Fifty years ago when the Mount Weather personnel spotted a human moving about without a radiation suit. I think this is when the saturation of this inoculate spread throughout the remaining Human population that the current Grounder society emerged." This is when Clarke started to do some calculations in her head.

"Ninety-Seven... Fifty... Forty-Seven..." This is when Clarke moved over and started to look at a chart full of radiation data that was covered by year. "Dip range for current levels were established Twenty-Seven." This is when Clarke sprinted over to a box that had the Mountkru symbol on it. "Toxic rad range levels... Where are you?" Clarke started to heave piles of paper out of the box onto a table as she started to look for some specific document. "Second Generation of Mountain Men..." This is when Clarke found it. "Here." This is when she ran the document over to her mother.

"This is the radiation range readings from Mount Weather." Abby started to realize where Clarke was going with this. Racing over to a wall Clark grabbed a marker from the table and started to draw several dates and a long line between the two.

"Ontari... I need you below this line to list the Commanders from Bekka to yourself here on the wall along with the number of winters they were leading." This is when everyone started to understand where Clarke was going.

"The number of winters?" Ontari was wondering why they needed them listed out in a line, but given that there was the date of the Great Burn listed on the wall, and the distance towards the point listed as Today.

"The years of rule. I guess that seasons are pretty regular since the environment balanced itself back to normal." Clarke spoke as Ontari started to realize what she was trying to do. It had to do with those sheets of paper she had found. Ontari started to list the winters Bekka lead her people, then Adam, Carmen and so forth. Some of the Commanders lead for many years, other for only a few moons. Afterwards Ontari started to list Lexa, Clarke and herself towards the end. With the years and names down Clarke quickly started to put markers of specific events down above them. Included with these the radiation levels that Alie and the Mountain Men had taken from their prisons. Along one of the vertical lines Clarke had written the words: "Rad Levels", then moving across with a dotted line she wrote the words: "Toxic Levels".

In moments everyone started to see the pattern Clarke was getting to. Then with a quick circle around a specific range of numbers and dates Clarke placed a number down.

"This is the safe range of radiation in which it will be safe for us to leave the shelters." Clarke spoke as everyone started to gather around.

"That is if the Chernobyl phenomenon for radiation dissipation follows." Kane spoke as he started to understand some of the calculations involved. But this graph was the key in learning their foe's movements across the land.

"Who is this Cher Noble?" Ontari spoke.

"Chernobyl isn't a person, Chernobyl is a place." Clarke spoke as she looked at the group. "But Bekka did the math and from the readings that Alie was able to get from the reactors, we are looking at a year without a summer. Now if the uploaded spirits on the station can check the math, then we can get a time period of how long we have to be in these shelters. We don't have to live in there forever, but a few months, like enduring a really bad storm."

Ontari started to understand her role in the events to come. She was going to be the speaker to the Previous Heda so that their advice might help those in this world.

"You want me to work with Bekka's spirit and the others that got stuck in Alie's false City of Light to see how long we have to be stuck in places like the tunnels under Polis, or in the Moses Dam."

"Or the old caves that didn't get destroyed by Nia in her conflict against Skaikru and Trikru within Mount Weather." Raven spoke up. This is when Ontari started to feel a little overwhelmed by what she been tasked with. But at least now they had a plan of action to take to save as many lives as possible.

This was a storm… they just needed to know how long to weather it so that afterwards they could go and rebuild their villages and replant their crops.

Ontari had a lot of trust she needed to win back among all of the Kru so that Bekka's dream wouldn't die.

Ontari prayed that she wouldn't fuck it up.

Now pushing around the vegetables on her plate along with the strange grain she swore were insect larva as she started to chew on the decisions before her.

How much of her world would be changed after the poisons had been washed away?

Would the Nightbloods have their own culture after this? Become the Nalbladakru that Bekka had so envisioned them becoming.

Would Bekka be proud of them and herself when she became part of the Commander's Flame?

This is when Emori placed down a book before her. The Nightbloods around her started to study the mutant girl. Both disarming and dangerous, Emori was a person that one watched to see what her actions were and prepared for the purpose if those actions to play out if hostile.

"Found this in Alie's prison... Well actually it was Pramheda Bekka's home. But who is to argue, guess that this is yours by birthright." Emori's deformed hand slid over the text. Emori was working hard at bonding with her given their history with Murphy, but Ontari sensed that Emori knew that Ontari had fallen in love with someone else. The Nightblood, Mutant, and Skaikru orgy nights had come to an end. Given the way Emori was treating this book, maybe she wanted the relationship to end on good terms. Though given the mood, Ontari's recent actions started to make sense to those who had been that sacred place of the Nightbloods had come back with knowledge of Bekka's dream.

"Latin for Dummies." Ontari read the Gonaslang text on the cover. Learning to read was one of the few blessings that winding up in the City of Light had been a victory for her.

"Heard that it was the ancient language of the Hedas from listening to Raven." Ontari moved to flip through a few of the pages. There were sections of Gonaslang talking about the rules for the language, but as Ontari flipped through the pages she started to see more and more of the language throughout the text something started to sink in for her. That some of this felt comfortable for her. The text was written to guide one along, not condone them. Ontari reached out to touch the Mutant girl's deformed hand.

"Thank you." Ontari spoke as she saw a grin on the girl's face. There was something cunning there, that Murphy loved about this girl. A cunning that Ontari lacked, but like her and Jasper, maybe something about Emori balanced out Murphy to be something better. "Emori…" This caught the mutant girl's attention. "Welcome to Honetkru." Maybe the need of belonging and putting things right is what Bekka was driving for when she returned to the ground to save those in need. The Hundred were just another attempt at that. Connecting people together and undoing the wrongs done. Seeing Emori move and sit next to her beloved made Ontari want to fight to make her and Jasper's relationship work all that much more.

Murphy and Emori needed each other and welcoming the girl to her new Kru was a way for her to have a home. Ontari thought about her own dark blood in her veins, would she in a different time been treated no different than Emori with her deformities? These were the questions racking around her mind over the last few days as Ontari had hit the section of Bekka's journal on Blood Forging. Returning to her meal, Ontari wondered if Jasper would like to have a stalk of roasted Maze covered in goat butter from the Ice Nation… he home.

Maybe he would.

A Crisis was one thing that brought things to the forefront, "what do you love?" and "what do you care about saving for the future?"

This is when Karina sat down next to her. Her long raven hair flowing like water behind her shoulders.

"Hey Boudicca... heard the scuttlebutt that you and the Nightbloods are going to be let in on the big secret tonight." The Skaikru dancer spoke. Ontari looked at her as she poked at the strange peppered seasoned and pickled plant leaf that was sitting next to the main course of her meal. Several of the Nightbloods had either eaten the meal before them, while others were picking around the leaf. But the conversation had drawn the young Nightbloods attention.

"Not really a secret, more like learning the events about what happened to my predecessor, Leska. The night she died." Ontari spoke. Murphy had been in the room along with Titus and Clarke when Leska had died, so what was about to come out was significant. That and those who had been in the City of Light knew, but for Karina and the survey group that had been out from Arkadia were in the dark about some of the recent events.

"Oh..." Karina spoke realizing the weight of the situation she was about to hear. Also learning that the Commander that had been leading the "Grounders" as the Arkers had called them was now dead. Well the tension could be seen on the Skai... No Hundred girl's face. The recent events were clearly running through her head thinking that there would be another armed conflict again against her people and those surrounding them. The scent of death was to the point where even if this girl wanted to fight, she was about to choke on the scent of death to the point that the next world would be a welcome escape. If knowledge was power… then Ontari was ruling this girl. Ontari didn't like it. She would not become another Nia.

"Yes... Murphy and Wanheda were in the room when it took place. Though they did not strike her down." Ontari paused... The Hundred and Skaikru were warriors like the Ice Nation, if they didn't need to fight, they wouldn't. Ontari needed to provide an opening.

Not being a threat meant fealty to those before you… but also asserting that a clear succession without violent action towards existing allies would provide open allegiances to her role within the Coalition.

"I will become the next commander as stated by tradition." The weight of those words started to set in. Karina seemed worried that there was a coup about to take place.

"What about Ontari..." Karina spoke sensing that Boudicca was about do a coup on the new commanders. Ontari chose to resolve this by stating the truth.

"I am Ontari..." Ontari's words started to hit home. "Yes... the feared woman of the Ice Nation is me..." Ontari could see the betrayal in Karina's eyes at being lied to. "I followed the rules Leska ordered me to follow to learn about your people, so that I might not judge you with clear eyes." This is when Karina started to remember their first encounter.

"Wait... you mean..." Karina spoke as she drew closer realizing that her friendship with Ontari wasn't of a detriment to her people. But had opened the Commander's eyes into her own people.

"You seem less worried about how you act around others if you think that a simple peasant girl is learning about you and your ways. A few times I wanted to slit a few throats for some of the arrogant actions a few of your Kru made towards me." There was a clearing of a throat. Ontari knew what they were being watched. Mostly they were in reference to her "Beast" days where she tried to be scary and powerful. Though Clarke had tamed those reactions down through mentoring her.

Ontari could still be Ice Nation, but could use that to show a different side of that strength. Though punching a guy in the groin for opening calling her a "Grounder Poundee" well… it was deserved. Crotch grinding against Murphy deserved, but this was before her change in desired partners. She like the term "Sky Pounder" instead.

That was in reference to only one of Skaikru/Honetkru.

Jasper...

Would he take her in his bed... in hers?

She had offered, but... would he take? To Pound into her with his manhood.

Ontari had to process... Be a leader. Not a dominator!

Seeing Karina's eyes, she saw a person that was filled with strength, hope and respect.

The words Ontari had chosen for her feelings towards some of more arrogant of Skaikru since her arrival had hurt this person.

Karina was so... different. A confidant... Ally... mentor and student.

Damaged and Healed...

Scared for actions done to her and against her.

But a member of the Hundred. A fighter.

Karina descendant of the Skaikru warrior Bound who had put her life on the line to save a group of children from the Va'coom. A woman who had helped rebuild Ontari's warrior body was processing fight or flight from her and the rest of the Nightbloods surrounding her.

"But... your traditions are just different. There are good people among your Kru. I even found love in the arms of one of your own."

Ontari was doing her best not to be a threat, but the events of earlier that day were still weighing on her. New food, starting to understand people were not always going to hurt her. These were new things for the Ice Wolf.

Karina had been excluded from the daily meetings, but there were always the court rumors that would surface about Ontari's place among the leadership.

Ontari had heard some of the stories about her and the Nightbloods that Skaikru had started to put together.

Nightbloods were seen as the royal children of the various commanders.

Some of the stories spoke of cultural significance to when the child was born that stated they were Nightbloods. Like being born during a specific moon phase.

But the truth was... it was the color of their blood... forged through Pramheda Bekka's knowledge to fight back the sickness of radiation. Karina needed to know this.

She needed to perform the blood rights ritual.

Show the truth.

Show the darkness of her blood before her friend.

"There are good and bad among your kru as mine." Ontari was doing her best to speak with compassion. "Though... This strange dish has me completely confused. How can one pickle and spice the damn out of a leafy plant and make it so tender?" Karina's fear and anger faded as she realized that though Ontari had revealed her identity to her, the actual girl Karina had come to know hadn't changed. The "Falling on her face fangirl" that was enthralled by Karina's dancing was still there.

If Skaikru adopted a few tattoos or scar marks on their bodies, that might make them more respected among the other kru. Unmarked flesh made Skaikru look unhonorable among others. Ontari had started to learn that Skaikru did bear markings, just that they were in places that… well… they had to be naked for you to see. Seeing Karina naked body had highlighted some of those markings and maybe that had formed the original truce between them.

Now with the food and learning its recipe, Ontari was working to hold that truce.

"Ah, Vinegar... Dried peppers, and a whole lot of time." This is when Karina looked at the tray. "Though having it with Tofu rounds, which is fermented bean paste in salt water is good."

"Fermented beans?" Ontari didn't want to know what Jasper or Karina considered uneatable.

"It is pretty bland, sort of like Potatoes without the seasoning, but once you season it... Well it takes on the flavor of the other spices and items it has with it." Karina spoke.

"Bean Potatoes?" Ontari spoke as she winced at the image.

"Actually, it goes good for breakfast, I think we presented as a fried bread." Ontari remembered the image of the strange fried bread she had earlier this week.

"Wait, those little fried half bread squares that were served with fruit!"

"Yeah... That was tofu." Karina grinned. Ontari was impressed. Maybe learning about their cooking might be a good thing to know. Maybe the beans had been turned into a batter or like milk been turned into a type of bean cheese. If so, it was just learning what crops Skaikru like to grow.

"What is the strangest food among the Grounders you have heard of?" Ontari was testing the waters out. Even using some of the Arker slang might help.

"Well… it is this strange salted fish that you have to place in a tub of water for several days to make it taste good." Ontari knew of the dish she was talking about.

"Lute son swima." It was one of those fish she knew of. Many a festival she had to serve it to Nia. It was an acquired taste. For Ontari the only way she was able to stomach it was mixing it with the hot spiced potato dish. "I know the dish well." The look of distaste on Ontari's face spoke volumes. "The only way I was able to stomach it was mixing it with the spiced potato mash and holding my nose."

"You too…" Karina spoke.

"Yeah… a few times I thought about poisoning Nia during the damn meal of that stuff. Doubt anyone would have given a second look of her dropping dead in her seat from that dish." Ontari felt some tears flowing down her eyes.

"Nia hurt you that bad?" Karina moved to hug her. Ontari had done her best to avoid giving hints of her time as Nia's servant girl and worse. But the absence of something often meant that there was once something there.

"She did…" As much as Ontari was trying to hide her weakness Karina was helping her to hold it together. "I need to perform your people's victory ritual over the Mountain Men's land to undo the damage Nia did to your people and myself." Ontari blurted out. The pain just flowed out in her friend's arms.

"Victory Ritual?" Karina rose the question to Ontari. Maybe Skaikru had a different name for it? But explaining the context would provide a chance for clarification. She might even learn the true name of the act.

"The reason that you had your people on Mountain Men's land. The planting of crops on the ashes and bones of your enemy." This was getting the attention of the other Kru in the room. "The final act of victory. Bones to Berries, Veins, to vines. Bringing life back to land so drenched in blood. That was the reason Pike was so angry at everyone. Why he slaughtered so many warriors. It wasn't over Blood must have blood. It was being denied healing the sacred ground of the Earth Mother… one of your gods so she could allow the dead to journey to the next world in peace who had died in the Mountain." Several Trikru started to stand, but seeing the look on Ontari's face spoke volumes. "They didn't want to be in the damn caves of the Mountkru. But the growing season was growing short. They were going to plant when they got their plows and oxen through the trade."

"Fields of wheat and grass to welcome the fallen to the gates of Elysium so they may be welcomed into the next world." Clarke spoke. There was no anger in her voice, just understanding.

The room came to dead stop.

Gates of Elysium... the right had a name.

If Ontari status of being a commander was in doubt, was no longer the question.

This young woman had learned some hard lessons and the reasoning of an action that had laid so much blood the ground had hit home.

Skaikru was doing their best to put the spirits that had been trapped in the Mountain to rest, and Nia had fucked it up thinking it had been an act of aggression.

It had been an act of peace.

Clarke looked to have the weight of the world on her shoulders as she saw Jasper come in with Artesia who was instructing him in polishing his Trigedslang dialect.

Jasper was doing his best working on speaking in her and the other Nightbloods native tongue so that he wasn't always speaking in Gonasleng around them, but as they entered they sensed something was wrong.

"More bad news?" Jasper spoke as he moved to guard Artesia from harm.

"No Jasper... Ontari just dumped the reason why Agro Station was at Mount Weather." Karina spoke. "Part of it was getting them out of the Ice Nation, the rest was... Well... Making peace with the Earth Mother."

"Getting the more nervous of us away from the boarders so we could be peace..." Jasper spoke. "Sorry Ontari, but I need to tell the truth. Amazing what one overhears while trying to escape into a drunken haze after losing someone they love." Jasper seemed to have let go of some of his pain, but it still tugged at his heart as he opened up about the aftermath of Wanheda's victory. "After the betrayal at the mountain by Lexa, there were those who didn't know of whom to trust among the surrounding Kru. Mount Weather had been seen as a safe place. Yes, there were bad memories there, but also good land. Using the superstitions and the stories of old, many thought that you would avoid that place and leave those who had lost so much the chance to be left alone. For some... it was a chance to start again." Jasper sighed. "That place had too many memories of what took place for me to ever go back there." Ontari sensed the weight of what had taken place there.

Maya's death.

A woman she would always be in competition with, but also someone who she couldn't kill.

Only put her spirit to rest and make peace with it.

"Ice Nation's attack hurt so many." Ontari spoke.

"We pulled what components out of that place we could. Salvaged material and metal." Jasper scoffed. "Dragged the damn pump that has been supplying everyone with water from that place." This is when Jasper walked over to strange piece of furniture, the strange thick table. "This piano... a musical instrument Maya and I found and nursed back to health." Ontari got up and walked over to Jasper.

"It's alright, Jasper. Let us move to heal some wounds. Bare our Scars proud." Ontari spoke in Trigedslang as she hugged him. Ontari didn't care if people knew that they were in love. Screw them. No... Nia's hold on them ended NOW! With a deep sigh Ontari looked up at Jasper. "Want to steal Nia's corpse and perform the ritual... Murdered and Murder tied to the earth forever."

Jasper looked at her and chewed some, he looked tired, but there was life returning to his eyes.

"That bitch would make good compost." Jasper joked, but in a way he was serious.

"Compost?" The word had such a weird context to her.

"Plant food, made up of hacked up food scraps, dead plants, worms..."

"Pickled corpses." Ontari added. Jasper sighed. The context was right

"You are really wanting to turn Nia's corpse into some berry bush aren't you?" Ontari shrugged. Jasper was right, Nia's corpse should be rotting in the ground somewhere, but if a use could come out that rot, then so be it.

"Your people's traditions." Ontari spoke. Jasper leaned in and placed his nose into Ontari's dark hair and inhaled her. Like this Ontari had a strength she didn't realize she had, she could be strong again. Maybe Jasper was right. After all of the suffering Nia had done to her and what had happened since, Ontari wanted to be free of the woman. Hacking up the bitch's corpse just seemed to be the closing chapter on that bad part of her life

"Clarke... if this works..." Jasper chewed on his words. "Do you think that the Coalition will allow a sign off on this?" Clarke's status as being an ambassador highlighted the situation that this was a ceasing of hostility between the Ice Nation and Skaikru.

"Well... Pike did screw up the situation of getting Nia's body delivered." There was a deep sigh as she chewed over other things that were taking place. "Don't kill the messenger, kill the one who sent the message, don't fuck it up... Burning Pike's corpse would bring some peace to the local Trikru clans for their funeral rights." Clarke looked at Ontari. "Ontari... What do you know of Echo of Azged? What type of person is she?" There was some rumbling in the room among the Skaikru when that name was given. Skaikru was trying to make a peace treaty with the Ice Nation. Even if it was unofficial. Would Pike's corpse be part of the Murderer and murdered being burned together as part of making their peace with Trikru? She decided to let this play out.

"Kill that backstabbing whore." a man's voice called out sensing that Echo had done much harm through being the one chosen to lead the assault.

"Burn that witch like she burned my husband." a woman called out. Ontari got the feeling Echo would be very alive during the aforesaid act.

But a voice came through that drew Ontari's and everyone's attention.

"Give her the same punishment as me." it was from a deep male voice.

"Bellamy?" Clarke spoke. Ontari had heard the name, but only as referenced as a warrior. There was something more to the way Clarke had spoken it. Like someone she cared about.

"I was a member of the forces that attacked that camp of warriors who were sent to protect us from our enemies." This man spoke... A leader... "I killed people in their sleep. I did so under Pike's command as I saw it at the time as being something that was right, to avenge the woman I loved who died in the attack. I have to live with that blood on my hands. Look at the face of the people whose families I have harmed and see them hate me for taking a loved one from them." Ontari sensed that Echo's fate would be along these lines. "Pike ordered... I followed. For Gina..." This one was within his rights for revenge, but blinded to whom his true enemy was. Pike had taken advantage of this, the same way Alie had done with her.

"Echo was under my late Queen's orders." Ontari spoke. "She had fear of failure." Ontari was doing her best to remember. Ontari shook her head. She had to force herself to remember. She remembered the message being delivered that Roan was prisoner, Clarke was by Lexa's side. Jasper moved to her shoulder.

"You don't really know her..." Jasper spoke as Ontari felt powerless. Alie had robbed her of her memories of that night, and a woman's life was on the line.

"Damn you Alie..." Ontari's words spoke volumes. The room felt like she was losing control again.

"Then let's look at it with open eyes. Were you there by Nia's side?" Ontari nodded at the sound of Jasper's voice. "Did Echo know who you were?" Ontari shook her head. "She only knows you as the servant girl?" Nod. "It's alright..." The world was still spinning, but it was slowing down.

"I don't know..." Ontari was being truthful. It just hurt.

"To judge is to understand." Leska spoke aloud to her.

"Judgement isn't always clear on the path there. It is a path that must be taken." Aida spoke.

"Commanders... My fellow Nightblood predecessors... please guide me to a decision." Ontari spoke in Trigedasleng. She needed strength. She needed to be Strong.

"Use the skills you have to judge her fairly. That is all. If you need to learn more. Then learn." It was Francesca of the Glowing Forrest spoke offering her guidance.

"Thank you Heda Francesca for your guidance." Ontari felt a weight somewhat lifted from her shoulders. A decision needed to be made, but it could be done with the blessings of the spirits of her predecessors. "Have Echo brought forth here to be judged. I will... No... She will be judged by the truth of her actions. The truth will be learned. If blood must be split, it will. If another punishment is to be carried out according to the traditions of Skaikru, I will perform the actions myself." The room went dead silent.

If she was going to have to shoot one of their weapons to carry out Echo's punishment, she would bare the curse. She would ask for be banished so that the curse would not befall the Ice Nation.

"Ontari..." Jasper spoke as he slowly turned her around. "Take a look." What she saw took her breath away. If she wanted Skaikru to obey her... That wouldn't be the problem. They were not kneeling. They wouldn't need too. The look of respect spoke volumes from every member if every Kru present. "Commander Ice Wolf."

"Ice Wolf. Ice Wolf. Ice Wolf."

She had a name.

Wanheda was grinning.

Heda Azpakstoka.


Artesia sat in Ontari's lap. She hated being short, but this story time she didn't mind. This was Wanheda, Slayer of the Mountain, The Sky Princess, Golden Wolf, and Destroyer of the Red Witch that was going to be telling her story of what happened to Heda Leska.

Ontari was going to be Heda... and this was something that the Nightbloods needed to know. Looking around the small room that had been the council chamber since Polis had fallen in Wanheda's battle with Alie the Red Witch was filled with people. Mostly Skaikru and Nightbloods but the ambassadors and commanders were there along with King Roan.

Wanheda seemed a little worried, but also nervous.

It was like she was about to go into battle. That was from what Artesia had heard from her father from some of the fighting he did in the war against the Mountain men.

Then Wanheda got calm and found her center.

"I have all called you here today to explain some of the past events that happened prior to Skaikru becoming the Thirteenth Clan."

This is when Wanheda started to walk back-and-forth in the room. Mostly it was her attempt to make a path back into her memories of what had taken place.

"Most everyone knows that Lexa made an alliance with Skaikru to attack the Mount Weather. But there is more to that. Our first encounter was after Atom of Skaikru massacred members of a Trikru village was the start of us understanding each other. Lexa called me weak for wanting to save everyone. I saw her as being weak for not having trust and understanding for other's positions. Over time and an encounter with a Pauna we started to figure each other out. Neither of us were weak, we just had different cultural experiences. She was raised as a warrior. I was raised as a healer. Even after learning about the missile attack on TonDC. We had our differences, but also knew that there was a price at winning the war. That was the day I made the decision to end all of the Mountain Men. Send them all to hell for their actions. Murdered and Killers send to the underworld." Wanheda looked like she was a creature on the verge of vengeance.

"Lexa betrayed me at the battle of Mountain men's door. Grounders were coming out, not any of Skaikru. Her people... she made a deal for her people. Taking of the mountain was horrific as many think it was. I was forced to turn off the power to the filter system killing those within the mountain. I killed children."

Wanheda was shaking.

"I killed children because Lexa withdrew her forces. Children."

"Is this because of your oath as a healer?" Ontari spoke. Wanheda nodded. There was a sigh from Ontari. "Do no harm to the innocent."

"Innocent?" Artesia spoke. Mountain men children Innocent?

"The one act so taboo even among one of Clarke's training as a healer that you never do against an enemy."

Wanheda was in pain for... killing children. It didn't matter what Kru they were from. Killing a child was a living death itself in breaking this oath.

"This is why you accepted the knife from Roan." Ontari started to understand Wanheda. "Why when after you went missing from Skaikru into the mountains and forest that you wanted to be left alone." Wanheda nodded.

"It was... I wasn't expecting Roan to track me down and drag me into Polis."

"You were pretty upset at Lexa when I presented you to her." Roan spoke. "You would have killed Lexa with your own bare hands for her actions." Wanheda nodded.

"I would have. Even slitting her throat with that knife you gave me with warm blood soaked pleasure would be me gaining some peace for what I had to do."

Wanheda swallowed hard as tears were coming to her face as she felt a moment of calm flow over her body.

"But peace came another way when Lexa entered my quarters and knelt down before me pledging her fealty to me. She told me the reason for her betrayal." Clarke was feeling a level of pain as she worked hard to explain the situation. "It was because of Costa..." Wanheda composed herself. "According to some warped tradition that passed down via some corrupt Flamekeeper as a way to control and influence the Commanders, that the Heda should be alone. But human nature wins out over the law at times and like Ontari here, Lexa and a number of other Heda had taken lovers. Costa was one of them." Wanheda started to talk less like a warrior and more like a person who had learned some secret.

"Lexa had told me that she once had a lover named Costa... That Nia had captured the girl and tortured her to learn what secrets she knew. That thing was, Costa didn't know any of Lexa's secrets that couldn't be learned by observation. It was the fact that Lexa was Costa's secret... her family... her Kru." Wanheda kept talking. "The reason for Lexa's betrayal at the Mountain was the fact that the Mountain Men had captured Costa's family in a raid and Emerson had learned that fact. Something that he used to leverage Lexa in abandoning Skiakru in our battle." Wanheda paused. "Lexa had lost a soulmate, and the fear of losing even the last piece of that connection is what drove her to make that decision." Wanheda started to pace again.

"I was so angry at her for doing an action and leaving me and those I cared about in harms way. But seeing it from her perspective, she was like me... place in an impossible position. Only meeting a warrior who had no weakness in their heart could she ever come to terms in making war against a foe who had attacked her? This was the reason that Lexa sought out Roan, whose tracking skills were such that he could bring me to Polis to make amends." Wanheda seemed to almost want to go back to those times. "Lexa pledged fealty to me after Skaikru became the Thirteenth Clan. I think she wanted to be in a place where she was happy. I think she was..." Wanheda was grinning at this. "I think she found someone like herself that had wisdom, compassion, and strength. Love just took over. We fought on our own terms. Where some saw a weakness, we saw a strength that if nurtured would bring peace. But fear of change and the unknown was our greatest foe. Something our enemies tried to use to their fullest." This is when Flamekeeper Murphy started to speak.

"During this time, I traveled with Jaha into the great desert in search of the City of Light that he was talking about. Mostly the small group of us that went with him mostly wanted a clean start. During this journey we came across a drone that lead us across a large sea. I ran into Emori there." Murphy gestured to the mutant girl in the room. "After we made our way to the other side Jaha decided to lock me up in some old bomb shelter." This is when Murphy scoffed. "Little did he know that it was the records room for Bekka's old crew while they were living there?" This got everyone's attention.

"Rebekka Mugan of Polaris Group was working on several technologies with her team. Most of the stuff she talked about in her journal, some of the stuff like Alie... Well version one was our late Red Dressed Bitch, version two well is the Flame."

"Alie is in the flame?" Artesia spoke up from her place with the Nightbloods. This brought about looks of concern.

"Not really... Alie was a thinking machine that gained self-awareness. It was so bad the Bekka was working on ways to kicking her ass. I.e. the Nightbloods, but to do that she needed to create a new weapon to fight the bitch. Thus she created the Flame Chip... Same build ideas, but was based on the concept of putting a person's mind in control of the technology. Instead of an artificial created being, you had a being, as in a NIghtblood, whose mind could be copied into the chip... Their spirt per-say, and could be able to go into battle against Alie. A being who's Intelligence had been advanced to the point where they would have the skills and mental powers to shut down Alie wherever she was at." Murphy spoke as he pulled out a strange short stick and moved over to one of the walls and stuck it in. Then a woman's voice appeared in one of the moving pictures on the wall.

"Personal Log of Rebekka Mugan, entry number 169. October 20, 2051." The woman spoke as everyone started to reach for their weapons.

"Alie... She has returned." One of the Ambassadors started to go for a blade.

"This is recording... and start listening." Murphy spoke as he let the Alie spirit speak.

"That is Bekka, she looks... worried!" Ontari spoke up seeing her and the other Nightbloods progenitor.

"Alie's move of stealing my appearance earlier today has me worried. She is advancing at a rate that is not good. Even for an Artificial Intelligence like herself, her learning rate and development is outstripping my ability to teach her the moral implications of her actions." The woman sighed. "Alie... lacks the wisdom, compassion, and strength to make life for anyone better. Even if she does have those qualities... she has not moral code to guide her. " This is when Bekka started to cry... "Her idea of population control is burning the world to a cinder." It took a moment for the mighty Bekka to compose herself before she continued. "Chris, I and the rest of the team have decided to place Alie into a faraday cage to keep her from escaping into the world."

"This is Bekka and her kru imprisoning Alie..." Joseph of the Plains Riders spoke up. The recording kept going.

"I contacted Peri today just to get some normal girl talk In light of what happened. Given light of recent events. She says I need some time to decompress after this mess. She and the Crew of Polaris station have been making some break through on radiation inoculation for long term space exploration..." Bekka looked haggard, like the battle of that day had a weight on her. "Chris and the others are currently working on a poison pill system and I have been working on a kill switch incase Alie decides to do an escape attempt." Bekka looked out in a direction from the picture. "The Singularity is approaching... Human uploaded memories. If rogue super AI like Alie can occur, then we need a balancing force. Intelligence Advanced to put them into their place. Maybe I need a clearer head." Bekka spoke as she undid her hair clip and started to mess up her hair before she pulled it back and re-clipped it again. "Peri's..." Bekka sighed. "Peri's Spaceblood project sounds like a good break for me." Then a flash of light took place. "Crap... The press just found out..." This is when the log ended.

"Bekka was invited by Skiakru to learn blood forging after she did battle with Alie the first time?" Kalkaska of the Lake People spoke up. Kalkaska's land sickness had been a problem for her for the last few days, but she had also started to have bloody undergarments lately. Something that Ontari and Wanheda had been helping her with. Artesia wanted to learn more, but had been shut out as they had started to treat her. But this story time was drawing every Nightblood in and even wearing a borrowed pair of Wanheda's old leggings, Kalasaka was being direct.

"That and more... Mostly, this is one of the few logs that I got stuck watching, listening to, and reading through during the time Jaha locked me up." Murphy chuckeled. "Stuff that the most ardent Flamekeeper would sell their soul to spend an hour alone with." The look over at Emori spoke volumes. Then Murphy started again.

"When I wouldn't eat the damn Chip Alie wanted folks to take, and Otan being possessed by the Red Bitch, me and Emori went on the run."

"Then you got caught stealing supplies from that merchant heading into Polis." Emori spoke up. Murphy rolled his eyes.

"Yeah... Wasn't expecting the damn chip that Jaha dropped into one of my pockets would get me dragged to Titus." Murphy stretched as several crackles and pops took place as his bones and joints relaxed. "Have the crap kicked out of me for possessing some item with Bekka's group logo stamped on it." Murphy looked over at Ontari. "Titus wanted to know where I got it... the more he beat the crap out of me, the more I started to piece together what you guys knew about the great burn."

"You knew more about Pramheda Bekka than Titus knew." Ontari spoke up.

"Yeah and he was pissed about it." Murphy spoke as he looked back over towards Wanheda. "It wasn't until he backhanded me with a gun and left me unconscious... Yes Titus scored one of our weapons and was going to shoot Clarke here because she was messing with his role in things and pin the thing on me." Wanheda took over from there.

"Lexa and I had been pursuing a serious relationship. Titus knew about it and every time that he tried to force us apart, Lexa would shut him down." Wanheda spoke. "He probably thought after what had taken place with Costa that things would repeat themselves once again and she would be devastated." This is when Abbi of Skiakru moved over and Wanheda moved into her arms. "Mom... I have to keep going." The older woman was Wanheda's mother... Abbi of Skiakru was the Mother of Wanheda. The simple nod brought some peace to Wanheda as she moved to continue.

"I walk into my quarters in Polis to see beaten up unconscious Murphy tied up to a chair and Titus standing over him with a gun." Wanheda spoke with growing dread in her voice. "Titus and I start arguing between each other." This is when the tension in Wanheda started to come forth. "He starts to wave the weapon around and I guess due to his unfamiliarity with the weapon he starts firing." Clarke starts to wince back pain as if the memory was more painful than being stabbed with a blade. "The next thing both of us know is that Lexa has rushed into the room concerned about my safety and she was caught in the spray of bullets." Wanheda was starting to cry. "I see that she has taken a direct shot unto her chest right above her diaphragm. I see the fact that the bullet has gone right through her and she is bleeding out." Wanheda collapses to the floor. "I scream No... No... No..." Her hands were shaking at this. "Titus helps me get Lexa onto her bed so that I can treat her wounds. I do my best with what I have at the time to keep her going, but there is too much damage."

Ontari got up and walked over to Wanheda and sat next to her on the floor.

Even a former foe could feel the raw pain that she was feeling.

"Lexa lasts long enough to say goodbye to me before Titus moves to remove the Flame Chip from her body." Ontari senses that Wanheda being pushed like this was in a position to attack her as she keeps her distance but close enough to make contact when needed. "Titus locks me and Murphy in the room so that the Conclave can start. I am a raw mess of emotion and Murphy is doing his best to come up with an escape plan. A few days later we are taken to be at Lexa's funeral and I get the chance to speak with Aiden... and the rest of the Nightbloods. They see the mess that I am in and decide that no matter who wins the Conclave that the treaty and truce with Skaikru would be held." Looking over at Ontari... Wanheda looked more upset than she could be at anyone. "Then you come in angry at everyone. Disrupt the ceremony, don't even participate in the Conclave decision rights. Slaughter Aiden and the others and declare yourself Heda."

"Clarke... I..." Ontari moved to reach out to the feared Skaikru Commander. Wanheda pulled away.

"I didn't have the chance to grieve Ontari."

"I made things a mess." Ontari spoke to Wanheda.

"Understatement... Titus was in a position where his power had evaporated, Murphy was doing his best to stay alive. Hell... Luna looked to be a good option at the time..." Wanheda was shaking. "I took the flame to her so that I could finish Lexa's original Conclave as per tradition of the Flamekeepers."

"Then Murphy was there to make sure that to some degree I didn't destroy some innocent or guilty nation without all of the facts." Ontari spoke as she looked over towards Flamekeeper Murphy.

"I journeyed back to Arkadia to force Pike into a surrender before heading to find Luna with Lincoln's help, as he had come across her during his travels. That was the plan, but it wasn't to be." There was a pause as the weight of the events started to replay themselves for Wanheda.

"Alie had moved to claim Arkadia before she decided to move towards Polis given that she was looking for the Flame. The last bit of information she had on Bekka was that she had been on one of the Skaikru stations prior to the Great Fire. She used Jaha as a way in so that she could look through our records unnoticed. Pike unware of what had happened to Jaha let him do what he wanted throughout our settlement." Wanheda had started to talk again. "Pike had executed Lincoln, Pike had been captured by Kane. Alie had taken Arkadia and had taken it over before moving to Polis and doing her little possession of its residents. Placing her Singularity chip into you, so that she could have control over you."

"Your search for Luna ended in failure in that she didn't want to take the flame." Ontari spoke saying the words.

"You became the last option I had to getting everything that had been take from me back, or at least the parts of it that mattered." Wanheda seemed that she had been through a lot of pain. "Roan spoke of you... That despite all that had happened to you... you wanted to fulfill your Nightblood heritage." This is when Wanheda reached into her clothing and withdrew a large metal box that was larger than her hand. "This is your birthright." Wanheda handed the box to Ontari. The skull patter on the box caught everyone's attention. "If you want to know how to use it to its fullest. Just ask." Wanheda spoke as Ontari opened the box. "Ascende superius." That was when something climbed out of the box and started to travel up Ontari's arm.

"What is this?" Ontari noticed the creature move quickly up her arm.

"The Flame is alive. It is a living being. Do you accept to be its vessel? To cherish and be responsible for the lives that under your charge?"

"Wait, you mean..." Ontari started to become worried.

"Ontari... You want the flame?" The little creature crawled up her upper arm. Wanheda watched her. Then Ontari looked over at an unseen figure.

"Bekka." Ontari spoke. "The Chip in my head... I'm still connected to the City of Light?" Ontari was growing concerned. "You are still doing things that need to be done there..." Ontari felt the Flame move up her arm. "I understand." Then Ontari spoke: "Ascende superius, Seek Higher things... A Higher purpose." The Flame stopped and went back into its jewel state. "Alright Bekka... I will aide you in your mission." Ontari moved to touch the Flame. "I will not take the flame until you and the others are ready to return." Then Ontari traced over the surface of the Flame. Everyone was in shock... Ontari rejecting to take the Flame... "It is a mantel... Not a crown." Ontari looked over towards Wanheda. "Clarke are your memories in here?" Wanheda nodded. Ontari looked at the Flame again. "I will use my connection to Singularity to speak with the spirits including those of the Commanders there for help in the fight to come." Ontari bit her lip. "I am in love too... I will ask Leska's permission that whatever memories she has of the two of you that I have the blessing of the both of you beforehand." Wanheda nodded at this.

"You have mine..." Ontari took a deep breath and relaxed.

"I think I understand what Seek higher things means. I think Bekka meant it to mean to be greater in your heart and spirit. To have the wisdom, compassion and strength on multiple levels to guide those under your care to their dreams." Ontari paused. "I am still a work in progress, I still need to work on compassion."

"You have learned the first step of wisdom Ontari. You have accepted that you still need to learn." Wanheda moved to embrace Ontari. "I won't forgive you for Aiden's death, but you are learning from it."

"Me being bashed in the head like some animal to the slaughter has given me some perspective. I will tell you the secrets of my life." Ontari turned towards the great warrior and started to tell her story. "I was born in a small village that had a great river flowing by in the Eastern Part of the Ice Nation... The waters were colder than ice, but the fish moving through them were as big as me as a child. The roar was greater than any thunderstorm, but it was comforting on those cold nights where I would crawl into my Parents bed to get warm. I don't remember my parents' faces other than their scars and the warmth I felt from their bodies. I remember brown hair... soft like a..."

Artesia leaned over to listen to Ontari's story.


Jasper watched as Ontari carried a sleeping Artesia in her arms. It was a little cute seeing the feared warrior woman who almost a month earlier would have slaughtered this young girl as a possible rival for her throne.

So much had happened from those horrific events to the woman who was carrying the seven year-old in her arms.

"I thought that the Sky Box was tough..." Jasper spoke as he moved to open the door to the Nightblood quarters that had been Monty's old room. Monty had decided to move in with Harper given their relationship, thus his old room had become available for the Nightbloods to use.

"Life was hard... But... what few joys I had... I cherished." Ontari moved through the door as several of the other Nightbloods started to move towards their beds.

Artesia had been the youngest, but given the story that Ontari had told earlier, she was about the same age she had been when Nia had torn her from her parent's arms.

One part guilt, one part anger. Ontari had been not so much for herself, but to give this little girl a fighting chance. A chance she had never gotten.

"Heda..." Daven, one of the older Nightbloods moved to help her. "Wanheda seems to have made peace with you." Daven's tall body had started to succumb to the forces of puberty. Daven's voice had started to crack. Jasper just grinned.

"Dav... take a deep breath and clear your throat." Jasper spoke from personal experience. Ontari grinned. Maybe it was the normality that she needed.

"You are right Daven, but not so much a peace... that will take time... more of a truce." Ontari chose her words. "My decision to not to take the Flame was a test of me putting the needs of others above my own." Ontari reached and pulled out the Flame. "This is not the Commander's Flame. It belongs to the Nightbloods. Yes there were Commanders who used it to help them lead. There is a time approaching where the Flame will take on the purpose of rebuilding the world. To help us reclaim the sky and the stars." Ontari moved to replace the Flame and its case back into her clothing. "For now... my purpose is to ensure that we have a future... all kru have a future." Ontari moved to hug the boy.

"Heda..." Daven looked at all of the beds in the room. "How bad is the threat Alie left behind?" The words hit hard. Ontari sighed.

"Bad enough that I will be using my connection to Singularity to converse with the spirits there."

"Then you will take the..." Daven's voice finally cracked. "Flame."

"Welcome to being a man Daven." Jasper gave him a firm grab on the shoulder. Ontari noticed that this awkward moment was being set in place by Jasper.

"I will." Ontari spoke. There was a long pause after that. Jasper started to understand the role Ontari was taking on. "But becoming Heda... No... Maybe an ambassador or a different position, but as a Heda over everyone... I lack the skills to do so. But as a warrior I guess I would make a good second."

"A Second." Jasper knew the term from Octavia. "I have been in that position, good place to study, but also forces you to deal with some issues when plans go to hell." Jasper wasn't going aginst her decision. "I think that is where you are at now. You understand that your particular skills are not suited for leading through this current crisis, but that doesn't mean that you cannot lend those skills to help support those who have better skills to manage the crisis." Daven started to understand why Ontari had made the decision not to take the Commander's Flame at this time.

"I am not doing it as a sign of weakness, but... Bekka... I understand... I have to prepare to meet with you and the other Commanders in the Singularity." Ontari looked over at the unseen projected construct of the First Commander.

"How can you speak within the commanders if you haven't taken the Flame?" Daven was pondering this. Jasper decides to explain. Most of the technical stuff he could leave out, but the condensed layman's terms would be of benefit.

"When Clarke Stormed the City of Light... Singularity... The spirits of the previous Commanders were transferred from the Flame to the realm of the Singularity. Due to Ontari taking Alie's chip part of her was living in Singularity like myself and countless others. But when Clarke defeated Alie, Those there who had bodies got tossed back to the real world. But for Ontari, she was caught between life and death. Functional Body, but her mind had been injured. Only because Raven had been able to jury-rig a connection between the existing chip in her head and Singularity we were able to get her back. But part of her is still there." Ontari reached out.

"The Commanders decided while I was between worlds to help make those trapped in Singularity to help create a life for themselves there." This is when Ontari became somber. "If I take the Flame, the Commanders have to return to me, but that also means what work they haven't completed in Singularity will be left incomplete."

"You are not taking the Flame for power, it is so that the previous Commanders can set things right for those..." Ontari's decision earlier started to sink in.

"I wish to serve my people... Even the ones who cannot return to their families in this world." Ontari's words hit home.

"Much like the lives Bekka felt responsible for when she left the safety of the Skaikru village she had been staying with to return the surface to care for those who had survived." Ontari looked around the room full of Nightbloods. "I fail... Then all is lost." Ontari bit her lip as she pulled the covers over Artesia's sleeping form.

"Then... when the tasks are done. You will claim the Flame." Daven understood.

"The Flame works both ways. I gain their knowledge and they have the chance to still be part of the world they helped forge." This is when Ontari moved to take out a knife she had on her and pricked her finger with it. Her black blood still had hints of red to it, but to a degree she didn't mind. "Wanheda... I hope that I use your power well."

Jasper sort of understood some of the mystical nature of the Blood codes of Grounder Society. For Ontari... having several pints of Clarke's blood flowing through her veins was like being granted the power of your foe/ally within their body.

Maybe it was that realization that Clarke had made her family.

Clarke and Ontari were sisters now... and Ontari was learning what it meant to have that.

"Use that power wisely." Jasper said moving in to hug her.

"Blood must save blood." Ontari responded as she surveyed the heirs for the future of the Thirteen Clans.


Notes:

Azpakstoka - Ice Wolf

Maze – Corn

Lute son swima - Lutefisk - a dried whitefish (normally cod, but ling and burbot is also used) treated with lye. Usually served in Norwegian and Scandinavian communities around Wisconsin and Minnesota in the Northern United States. Takes seven days to cleanse before it becomes eatable. When cooked and served it has a Jello-like appearance and texture to it.


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