Sorry for taking so long to update the story.

I been a little busy but I have applied that time to make in this chapter all that much better and expand upon this world.

I hope that you enjoy,

Hearns


14 – Echoes of the Past


Texas of the Plains riders rode into Arkadia. It had been a few days since his father had told him to head to Polis to inform his mother that they were heading back to the city. Texas had heard about the discovery that the black rain was coming. The members of the Floukru Village of Derrik had been nearly wiped out because of it. Pure poison falling from the skies like the stories of old. Over a hundred souls had perished before the sickness was stopped by the healers of Skaikru.

Now as he passed by several Ice Nation warriors standing next to a large chest outside of the Skaikru village, there was a flurry of activity taking place as Texas suspected what was inside of foresaid chest.

As Texas neared the stables he noticed a fairly petite girl with long blonde hair and a slender feline looking face. Even from what he had seen of her figure, she was very attractive even as she was grooming a two-headed horse that she was talking to.

"Easy there Janus. I know that you miss him. I do too." The woman was speaking in fluent Gonasleng as the noticeable bandages on her wrists could be seen. The redness bleeding through them bespoke that someone wanted their goblet of blood from her and had gotten it. She was Skaikru and possibly given she was alive spoke the payment had been enough to spare her.

Texas rode up noticing that there was some tension in her stance. The animal she was grooming was picking up on it as well. This type of tension was usually seen before a battle. The girl seemed to be checking the main hall doorway of the main Skaikru village structure. It was as if something was going to happen.

"Clarke. Luna. I hope that this works?" Texas overheard. The last thing he wanted to be in the middle of was some battle between groups wanting to settle an old score.

"Hope what works?" Texas spoke as the girl turned around in total shock. The blonde girl's face looked like she was caught sneaking out a lover out of her home before her parents or elders returned home. "You know if you are trying to sneak someone's lover in or out... it would go better if your distraction wasn't doing her best to act sober."

"Oh Shit!" The blonde spoke as she realized that whatever was going on had been discovered. Turning to see the woman with a messy head of hair pull over a hood and drench herself in copious amounts of some ale. That was when the girl decided that another distraction was needed. This was when she quickly sprinted from her place by the horse and proceeded to grab him by the shirt and pulled him off of his own steed. "Sorry about doing this but... they need a better distraction... What is your name?"

"Texas..." before he got the chance to continue she had pulled off her shirt to reveal her naked breasts. Before he could protest any further, she sneaked over to him as if she was going to present herself to made love to and started to slide her hand along the crotch of his leggings. The number of Ice Nation and Trikru warriors hooted at his brazenness to bed this girl in public was enough for her friends to take note to change their plans.

"Texas? Oh... what the fuck..." The young woman pulled him close with her now removed garment and pulled it around the back of her neck. "This isn't me making a move on you, but I need your help." That was when he was dragged into the stables with her and pushed against the wall. Part of the distraction had worked making everyone look at them and instead of the woman splashing herself in the inebriation concoction.

"What is going on?" Texas could spurt out as she slammed him against the back of the stables.

"Listen you hansom piece of ass..." The girl vented in anger then she kissed him. "I might be a horny slut who out of dumb luck was caught doing some shit I don't even remember doing while drunk, got selected because I was young, healthy and had a womb to bare babies with- got my ass strapped into a descent pod and dropped onto freaking Trikru land." This girl was telling her story, mostly as a distraction but to also inform him of her past. "Attacked, scared- I lost my friend Roma due to some fucking trap impaling her through the chest. I got dragged into the freaking Mountain- was drilled into and sucked by those fucking blood sucking vampires who wanted to drain me dry because my blood was the secret sauce for them escaping their underground prison. I saw several of my friends die before and afterwards because of crap like that." The girl kicked the back of the stable and grunted so loudly that her body heaved her backwards as if she was faking passionate lovemaking with him.

"I don't mind what gender I have sex with or the number of people I am with- I just want to help protect those I came down with and their families. I am just tired of surviving. I want to fucking live." The last part was screamed by the girl as if she was in the throes of passion. The way that the young woman was grabbing onto the waist of his leggings stated that if she had to she was going to rip his clothes off to get to his manhood...She was going to do it without hesitation.

Then realizing who and what this woman was now forced him to understand what was about to be taking place and it wasn't lovemaking!

"You are one of the warriors that came down with Wanheda!" Texas spoke. Whatever was going on this young woman wanted to make sure something took place. Faking a public sex act with him was more than just a distraction. Texas had blundered into something having to do with the honor of her fellow warriors. Then he got his confirmation.

"Yes... I am one of the Hundred... Now make a choice because I don't want to hurt you-" Then she shifted to a seductive whisper to communicate the details to him. "I just want to ensure that Ontari's Right of the Kill is kept. I have to break a lot of my people's laws in doing so- For the good of my people- For justice to be had. Fair and honorable justice like the tales of old. Are you going to help me?" She said in the most sexual way possible. Shit his manhood was growing to its full height at the way it rolled off her tongue. The passion her body was screaming as she felt over his body only highlighted that that this cause before her was vitally important for her to fulfill.

Texas didn't know what was going on, but if someone was willing to go against their people to ensure justice was to be done- even if it was going to be carried out by a member of another Kru. He now found himself in a predicament between this girl and her friends and the rest of her Kru and their right of the who was going to kill that prisoner in the chest... and the way that this girl had a firm grip on his manhood with her fingers, which she was snaking into his leggings with rampant importance, only highlighted that urgency.

"Is this Blood must have Blood?" Texas spoke emphasizing the last part in the Language of the Trees. The young woman's grasp relented some.

He had hit a nerve with those words.

"Refined... Right of the Kill means that a person must be judged by their actions as well as the intent behind it. You are not killed for being there, you are punished because you either ordered it or have the blood on your hands for fulfilling an act of vengeance upon the innocent. Nia, Emerson..." There was a pause before another name was spoken. "Finn." That name was known for the crimes the Skaikru boy had committed in murdering those members of that Trikru village in cold blood. Any thought about further details were put on hold as the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching the stables from outside. Texas quickly removed his tunic and leaned in and kissed the young woman to play along with the part he had been placed into. The girl blinked a few times realizing she better make it look good for their audience.

If anyone saw them being any more clothed than they were, then whatever this girl and her friends were trying to do would be undermined.

"Texas..." Her reaction was strange as she started to realize that she might have an ally in this situation. Taking the hint, she proceeded to unfasten her leggings and let them fall to the ground as the person approaching started to speak in the language of the Trees.

"Listen young man... whatever you and that girl are up to..." Texas caught who it was- It was one of the older Plains Riders of his immediate clan- and his godfather. Seeing the injury on the girl's neck Texas decided to use that to their advantage as being the reason that they had stopped in their passion to study her injuries. That and… Texas felt the softness of the woman's flesh under his fingers as he rubbed her bare lower back that she was taking note of this as well.

"-I see that you have gone through a dark time while I was gone." Texas moved to touch the clearly visible noose injury on the young woman's neck before reaching to lift up one of her arms. Now up-close, Texas saw how it had become so injured. The clear pattern of an attempt to slit her own wrists spoke to someone scared of facing the horrors to come. The sense of seeing two attempts to kill herself so recent after being freed from the Red Witch spoke to the horrors she must have come to face with when the realization that the fires of Praimfaya were returning.

This pointed to the fears this woman had gave Texas an in point to where to guide the conversation as well as provide a cover of why they had stopped in their acts of passion. "You think that I had left you to die in the flames of Praimfaya." Texas touched the injury on the woman's neck with compassion. "I would not do that to you with all of my heart... We are in this together... I would bare the pain of a thousand cuts before I would break my word to you. I will offer up my own blood and soul to you as my act of unity with you." Texas moved and placed his hand on her cheek. The Skai warrior of the Hundred relaxed as she realized that she had found an ally. "I will accept that I do not understand fully what this Right of the Kill means or how it came about- but if it is important to you, then I will follow it as it is part of your people's customs. You have a code of strength and honor. You fight to bare the weight of the world on your shoulders… You don't have to do it alone. I have been through the darkness too as that Witch tempted me too with her world of lies. I love you- faults and all- Whether you want to bare one, five, ten children, or take that number in from those who had become orphans, my heart is yours's. It has and always will be yours's. You have fought your way free of the Mountain along with the other youth like yourself. You had the strength to overcome that- Then let us fight through this battle together against the fires to come." The young woman sensed that he was willing to go with her on this including protect whatever action she was going to take to ensure her goal was to be accomplished. That and his speech seemed to have wooed her.

"Texas- I- I understand." The woman spoke as several who were wondering what was going on had started to move back as this conversation between lovers played out. Some lingering to catch of glimpse of the bare unmarked flesh of this young warrior that was as rare as seeing a flower in the dead of winter. The woman kissed him as she felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders. Then blushing when she saw the elder behind her as she started to scoot the both of them out of the elder's eyesight. Their audience seemed to come to the understanding that the girl was okay with public nudity, but mushy love stuff, she was getting embarrassed.

"I should let you two be." The elder Plains Rider realizing that these two though openly affectionate had much to talk about their future together. Also that Texas's speech was his way of helping his lover through her personal darkness. The Skai warrior sensing this turned to see that their audience was leaving before leaning in and sighing.

"So, did your friends accomplish the goal they wished to do?" Texas spoke as he knelt down to pick up his own shirt and watched as the Skaikru woman pulled up her own leggings. Texas took note that other than the recent injuries to her neck and wrists. She was a blank slate as any newborn child.

Looking around he found her shirt and handed it back to her. Texas had heard tales about some warriors not being marked by their clans as it allowed them the ability to infiltrate other clans as spies. In those cases, those individuals belonged to high ranking members of their clans. But this- to be unmarked- only made this young woman's beauty only that much more exotic.

Were the rest of the Hundred the same way among the Skaikru?

Texas watched as he saw that the young woman had taken notice he was looking at her as being attractive by his standards. Maybe even exotic.

"Thank you-" The woman spoke as he realized that she had taken note of his own markings as well. "Plains Rider, right? The Horizon Bird pattern of your markings speak of it." Texas hadn't realized that she was just as intrigued of his own marked body.

"I am-" The woman turned to see that her friend with the bottle was being led away by several Skaikru warriors. The sigh of relief and the relaxation of her body language spoke volumes. "Well everything is going according to plan."

"Was the capture of your friend successful?" The woman looked at him.

"Yes- she was supposed to be the distraction, but I had to improvise when you noticed her." Texas understood.

"Then why would your friend want to be captured?"

"It is easier to break into a prison, then out of one. That and she is one of the guards." This is when she explained the plan. "A prisoner, her, goes in, then she as a guard comes out. A full box goes in, then an empty weighted box comes out. If anyone looks, there was always a prisoner in the cell. No one checks if there are more guards coming and going. They only are looking for a missing prisoner."

"Then..."

"If there is no Prisoner missing then, no one will be looking at the cell. They will be looking at the box in the ground. The Ice Nation prisoner- the one in the box- we have to hide her as another prisoner. This is to ensure that we can protect her from being killed before she is to be judged by Ontari. There are many who wish for their pound of flesh from the woman for what she has done to them. They are willing to literally carve it from her flesh with a blade for every family member they lost to make themselves feel better." There was a shrug as the girl leaned over and started to smell her hands that had been within his leggings. "Crap you smell good." Then she blushed some. "Sorry about the make out- I am not this usually sober or do this stuff this early in the day." The frankness of this caught him off guard.

"You do this often?" Texas spoke as there was a bit of a blush on her face.

"Not really- I usually do this in private- But when you are raised in a place that has a constant temperature most of your life- Well I didn't feel the need to wear clothes full time until I started my education. Drove my parents' crazy. Then came as I got older I started to do all sorts of stupid stuff. Drunkenness, smoking herbs, having sex with others- in public." The woman sensed that telling her story to this stranger started to take the weight from her shoulders. "You were right- I tried to kill myself because of the coming horrors of the Praimfaya. Ontari saved my life- She is now Hundred- I want to repay her. She gave me back my life. I want to honor her's."

"You are honor bound to her?" Texas was starting to realize what was going on.

"Yes and No... I want to make sure that the person that is being brought here has the right to defend herself against the charges upon her. Ontari needs a win among my people. Protecting one of her's not only ensures she has a win, but from what I heard. I sort of feel for this woman for what Nia put her through."

"You wish this person to escape?" The shake from the Skaikru's head stated otherwise.

"No... It is her level of involvement... She did wrong, but to be put to death because she was following an order that she might have protested, or Nia had placed her into a position where she had to obey or have a person they cared about might be put to death... Ontari went through that crap being Nia's servant. If Echo was in the same position- Echo deserves a slim chance for survival... I understand what it means to be banished. But death for following an order that was wrong... I would bare being struck with a shock lance ten... twenty times. Shit Bellamy was place in the same position when he was ordered to shoot Jaha when some rebels back on the station tried to leverage the life of Bellamy's sister for compliance." Echo... now that was a name that was known... Though the politics of this current situation was becoming known. But the name Bellamy of Skaikru... Texas knew people who had lost family in that slaughter.

"What about the three hundred warriors that Skaikru killed! What about them?" Texas got his response.

"Indra knows their punishment. She knows that Pike was responsible for what happened. What he did to get the warriors that followed him, she knows what she wants from them. Pike is dead. He like Nia gave the order to do this crappy mess. But what about the warriors that followed them out of grief or extortion or banishment. What about them? Yes- you want to punish them... then punish them for what they did- being lured into a situation where their pain and grief blinded them to all rationality. Let Nia and Pike be burned with the dead. The warriors that followed them will have to live with what they have done, but make sure they are punished for the right reasons. You cannot undo death! There is no coming back from that. Niylah and Octavia have full right to Shock Lash Bellamy for what he did. Indra... has picked hers to punish. Monty's mom is dead- Lucas is Dead- Monroe is dead- If you want to punish someone- fine, but the number of ones still alive that were hurt by Pike's action deserve to have the chance to say: I am wrong- I will be punished. Let my people carry out the punishment. Let Ontari as your leader be the one to judge me. No one else."

Those words started to make sense... This group of individuals wanted to ensure that if Blood must have blood was to be carried out, it was carried out upon the right individual. Additionally, those who were the unwilling participants at least had the chance to gain some leniency with the Commander when it came to their crimes. In some cases, banishment would be better than death.

If this young woman had to break several of her people's rules to ensure that justice was had. Then her cause was right. She didn't want to break her people's laws, but she could not stand by while someone with a grudge might decide to take justice into their own hands.

"You are walking a fine line young Skaikru." This brought about a nod from the woman.

"It is..." That was when she offered her hand to him. "My name is Bree."

"Texas of the Plains Riders..." Texas realized that he was getting a clear blush from her.

"You know... I like you... I mean..." Texas grinned. Bree was getting tongue tied as she was realizing that this was becoming something serious.

"I like you too... Bree... though I sense that... your name has a deeper meaning or is longer than you like to say." The woman blushed.

"It does... It is short for Breanna. Which means: High, noble, exalted." Bree sensed that having a name like that and given how she had acted counteracted that. With a deep sigh, she continued. "Folks around here call me Bree the Maenad." The warrior name she had given was using a word or a bit of Skaikru slang he didn't understand. It showed on his face as he spoke the word aloud.

"Maenad?"

"Maenads were mythical creatures who had a love of inhibition, fornication and music, but when push came to shove were known to dismember men who crossed them or went against their gods."

"Such an interesting creature... So, I take it you are called that because of the inhibition, lovemaking, music or..." Texas had seen that side of her in the few brief moments he had known this young woman.

"The ripping of people apart-" This brought about an awkward look upon Bree's face. "Only did it when I was getting out of Mount Weather- I vomited for a week from the stench of the blood that covered me. The rest of the aspects are me to a T- I really don't like being violent. I use sex to get what I want." Bree looked at the horses in the stable and saw Janus looking at her sensing that she had found a connection. "And animals don't mind if I am clothed or not."

"Then the name is well earned." Bree was doing her best not to hype up her warrior skills. Most would be pleased to hear about this prowess in battle. Bree was shunning it.

"I didn't ask to be in this role. I love music. Hell, I was named after a style of singing that an artist of a band called the Foo Fighters my mother loved and how their lead singer sang."

"Bree is also a type of singing?" Now Texas was interested in this girl.

"It is a way of doing deep vocals where it sounds more like poetry than singing. It is very hard on the voices of who do it, but it is very primal."

"Well Bree of Skaikru all that can be said about you. Let us go and see if we can help your friends in keeping order and ensuring that this Right of the Kill is honored by Ontari."

"Thank you." Bree spoke as she moved to rub the head of the two-headed horse she had been caring for. The animal's reciprocation and understanding was expressed as the creature knew that it had a role to play if something had gone wrong with the diversion that had taken place. "Janus, I know... Lincoln would have agreed with you in doing this." the creature nuzzled in response. "At least you didn't have to buck or act all crazy." The animal responded tapping its hoof on the ground. "I agree with you... you either wanted to trample Pike for what he did or at least be one of the animals with a harness on to quarter his ass."

Texas realized that this wild creature of a woman and the animal she was with were doing their best to rebuild the bonds with the people in the area.

These people were honor bound tighter than any kru... they were family.

They would fight to their last breath to defend that family. Even for the families who had lost kin over the recent events. If someone was going to be punished... it would be carried out. But for those who by circumstance had been dragged into the conflict... were as much victim as participant.

Bree was one of Wanheda's warriors.

They didn't ask to become warriors, but they did.

Maybe seeing something in Echo's punishment felt too close to their own.

If Echo was to be punished... then she would be punished... for the right damn thing and not the entire mess Nia had created an unleashed upon everyone.


Ontari felt the Rover come to a stop. Hearing a tap from the driver's cabin Ontari and the others readied themselves for anything. But the voice from the front spoke that a friend was outside. Exiting the large vehicle Ontari stepped down to see two people she recognized from Arkadia: Miller the Elder Nate's Father and Clovis one of Roan's newer war chiefs. Clovis was known to Ontari as he often butted heads with Nia over battle plans, but when push came to shove... he pulled quite a few asses from the fire.

"It is good to see you kids here." The elder Miller said to the group. "Bellamy... Ontari..." Rank wasn't given. Maybe out of respect of Ontari's role here as a member of the Hundred. It wasn't what she expected as she was seen as fellow warrior of this group. For the most part information that she had become Clarke's second might not have gotten out this far since Clarke had announced her status to the Hundred. But given that their mission to retake this old flying vessel now had taken on new urgency with stories of the Black Rain striking villages along the coast were ever growing.

"David... It is good to see you again." Bellamy spoke as he looked at the elder warrior. Given how they were speaking illustrated that they knew each other from their time back when all of the sections of the "Ark" had been connected together. Ontari had studied some of that history while talking with this man's son Nathan. It was interesting as this part of their history was going to be repeating itself in the near future. These warriors had kept the Peace when the Ark had been in the sky... now these warriors were doing their best to be the troops on the ground in service to their leader. Many Azgeda warriors during the first days of this crisis had been drafted into the role these warriors had filled. It had been rough as attack had been a way of thinking for these warriors under Nia's command. Now with Roan... They had to change from attack to helping. When Roan had commanded that they had to treat these people as family and as fellow clan members, it had been hard. But seeing that some fellow Azgeda had been in that Cursed City of Light and the pain that those people were feeling... a few rose to the challenge. They were not so much War Chiefs, but were trusted among the other Kru... It was a hard first step to show this side of the Mighty Ice Nation, but the rewards had been great in the process.

Clovis had been one of those leaders that had earned the trust of the people of Azgeda and the other nations... He was one of the few War Chiefs that didn't get purged out by Roan... Clovis saw the big picture... Even with the battle of the Mountain Men... he sensed that Skaikru could be a powerful ally if properly courted.

Ontari had seen that first hand.

Skaikru had their problems, but were willing to obey under the right terms.

Lexa understood this...

Skaikru needed to change some of their ways to adapt to the situation they were in, but in doing so there had to be some compromises.

Pike was a mess that Nia had created...

A farmer pushed to his limit... wary of war against those who saw him and his people as trespassers, his village mates destroyed by a needless act of violence so Nia could have her war.

Would anyone be any different-?

Ontari looked around at the small camp that had sprung up. A mixture of various Kru were here. Most of these people where her kin... Not warriors... just farmers, blacksmiths... traders... servants... Ontari watched as a young girl brought a pitcher of water over to a young Floukru worker.

Images from Ontari's own dark past started to surface as a situation like this had taken place under Nia's rule. Ontari once was that very servant girl. But when Nia saw her Nightblood seeing hope…

Nia had slit the neck of the young boy who had caught her eye... right before her.

The worse part was Nia had her mop up the mess of split blood off of the castle floor with her own clothing. Ontari still had nightmares of being naked and having to wring out the blood into a mop bucket on that cold night.

When Ontari got back to Arkadia... she was going to announce that she was going to go through with the ceremony and have Nia's fucking body burned... Shit... she would rip her own clothes off and use them to make the torch to start that fire...

She didn't care every member of every kru saw her naked... She was going to start off things clean... And if being naked as the day she was born to do this ceremony, then so be it...

"Wounds of the past are still deep... Ontari." Ontari looked over to look at Clovis.

"They are War Chief Clovis." Ontari moved back into her native tongue. It felt good. "But maybe there can be some healing done to lessen the spread." Ontari grinned.

"I hear that you have gained some skills since we last met." Clovis was inquiring.

"Made some mistakes... didn't listen to some sound advice from some advisors that nearly got me killed. Cost a lot of lives... both friend and foe..." Ontari paused. "Learned that leadership isn't as easy as one thinks... it is with consequences... Though..." Ontari chewed on this. "if you find the right mentor who will teach you how to lead properly as their second, not as some puppet... you gain some true strength."

"You speak as if you have become someone's second." Clovis was right.

"I have..." Ontari spoke... "Wanheda's..." Ontari sighed. "... She was going to make me her second with Lexa's blessing so that I could receive the training I missed out on. Lexa's death... just... turned it into a mess. I should have stayed in Polis. Maybe my reign would have been less bloody than it had been. Now I am trying atone for my actions so that I am not demonized of being an insolent child that coveted power that she hadn't earned." Clovis grinned at her.

"You are starting to sound like a Heda I would follow." Clovis watched as he observed Harper and Jasper keeping track of them. "Those two warriors seem to have taken an interest in our conversation."

"Jasper and Harper. They are Hundred. They are my War Brother and Sister. They would die for me, they would fight to their last breath for me. As I would for them." Ontari spoke as she sensed that something bad was about to happen.

It did.

"War Chief Clovis. There is movement around the Skaikru settlement." The messenger spoke. The messenger seemed to be a little young. Crap... Most young Seconds were at least entering into adulthood. But this one still had the baby fuzz around his face.

"Show us." Clovis spoke as the young man led the group to a concealed overlook onto the settlement.

The view from this place was excellent for monitoring movement to and from the settlement. This is when Lexa appeared and knelt down unseen by the rest of the group.

"The place is a fortress. No wonder they couldn't get in. I need you to ask Clovis and the others about how this place was taken?" Ontari looked out upon the crashed the old Skiakru village ship. Then Bekka appeared.

"Agro Station. I remember seeing this place when it was still in orbit. The place was designed for orbital crop growth. Mostly it was to feed the personnel in the stations as well as Asteroid Miners who needed to loop back to Earth after dong a mining run out to the Belt. They over built it to protect the crops inside, boy I heard about some of the fruit they were growing. The old Antarctic crews used to call anything fresh, such as vegetables Freshees." Bekka spoke giving her memories to Ontari of some of the inside of the structure. The hanging gardens, trays filled with wheat and soil based crops. Trees flayed out to the point where they were flat as the tops of tables, but yet still produced fruit.

"This was a farm ship?" Ontari started to realize that though this was her people's land, Skaikru knew more about this place than she did.

"Home to six hundred people when it was still flying." This was Jasper speaking. "My home for countless years before I got sent down with the rest of the Hundred." Ontari had no idea that Skaikru had farmed on this scale.

"This isn't a fortress... This is a self-contained settlement designed to survive anything thrown at it short of it falling from the sky." Ontari realized that to take this place and save the people of the nearby villages she needed to learn more than ever how this place worked. Then looking at what the messenger had spoken of she knew of one-way in. The place had a group of riders returning from a hunt. "Looks like they have been hunting." Ontari spoke studying the situation.

"They do that every few days." Clovis spoke.

"The place is a farm... why are they not raiding the crops in there?" Ontari spoke.

"I don't know... maybe they don't know how to run the hydroponics system." Jasper spoke. As the Elder Miller came over to speak.

"We were in the process of getting back online when we had to leave to meet up with a supply group."

"So what did you do?" Ontari spoke as she started to understand the situation before her.

"The group of Arkers and the Floukru left the station with a skeleton crew along with some troops so that we could rush to one of the settlements to see what work had been done in tracking down the replacement parts that needed to be forged."

"The place was unguarded?" Ontari spoke trying to understand the situation.

"Not really." This is when a broad-faced dark skinned Skaikru woman approached the group. "Bobbi Goodwin, Ma'am..." Ontari studied the woman. Warrior eyes. "Most of the repair group needed to see the find that one of the local villages had found. Given the size most of us left to aid in moving the materials here. So other than a few Azgeda soldiers and a couple of Floukru mechanics who was working on patching the hull we had to leave to transport the water converter salvaged from Hydra station here along with several tanks of Hydrazine."

"Youch..." Jasper spoke understanding why most of the group had left. "...No wonder you left to get the stuff. If any of that stuff got hot or ignited, probably would have wiped a village or two off of the map."

"Hydrazine... what- wait... that is the stuff that Wanheda used to burn three hundred Trikru warriors when they attempted to attack that scouting vessel you came down in Jasper." Ontari added remembering the details of some of the stories that some of the Hundred told of their first days on the ground.

"Yeah... But when the converter is used, it can produce a lot of water. Since there are no wells nearby, the water that can be made might be the only drinkable stuff when combined with the urine scrubbers."

The situation made sense.

Skaikru had to leave so that they didn't get blamed for causing another mess. But leaving the place unguarded like this would have not been a reason for attack. There had to be something more going on.

"Those bastards fucking moved in." Bryan spoke fuming as he approached.

Ontari had seen the young warrior around.

He had been through an emotional struggle between protecting his Kru or siding with his leader. A man who had saved his life and helped him fight to survive during his first days on the ground.

Kru had won out, but with a price that he was still struggling with.

Now being back here was being a living hell for the young man.

Like her, Bryan had seen the worse that the Ice Nation could dish out. He saw monsters, not families.

"I hate that damn flag." Bryan spoke as Ontari turned to see the flag Bryan was talking about and her black blood went cold.

"Those are the bastards that you fought when you came down?" Ontari realized that these were the monsters that were to be feared.

"What! You think I will make peace with the people that killed my friends in front of me... No... I want to kill them all! I want them to pay for all of the lives they ruined and taken." Ontari decided to respond in her own terms.

"No... I agree with you fully... these are the monsters and they need to be slain. They served Nia... stole me from my Mother's arms... They held my village hostage... Oh... I want to slay them as much as you do. I want to strip naked and bathe in their warm pulsing blood dripping from their slit necks and relish in the feeling that I have taken back the power they have stolen from me. I want to take their heads and place them upon pikes in every village they had attacked to stand as a message for the next ten generations, that these men's actions are the reasons that people will walk through Hell and fires of Praimfaya to seek out revenge for those they had lost. No Bryan of Skaikru, my history is known to them. Do you wish to join me in my blood bath of righteous vengeance upon these pieces of- foul rat dung?" Ontari spat those last few words out.


Bryan just blinked. The dark imagery that Ontari spoke just threw him off as he didn't know how much she wanted to skin these bastards alive- Literally- with her bare hands-. Crap… she was offering to have a bathtub filled with these bastards' own blood and share a bath with him in it. Bryan had heard of how kinky and scary Ontari could be, but at the same time- how did Jasper and Clarke deal with this girl? Stab you one moment in fury, fuck you sensless in pleasure the next.

"Okay..." he cleared this throat. "So- your history is-" Bryan was processing vengeance that would make the Claw Man cringe. That and- good grief she made Bree look like Raven in her sex life.

"Bryan of Skaikru- These fucking bastards are the Slavers that stole me from my home. We are in agreement on they must die. When do you want your revenge? Because I will be by your side when we unleash a level of vengeance upon them that will even make the gods of the underworld come to fear what we are about to do." Oh… Shit! Homicidal Grounder. Very Friendly Homicidal who…

"Give me a moment-" Bryan cleared his throat again. Maybe Ontari's concept of wrath was a mellow one compared to what Bryan wanted. For her- oh- the dark place he was going to was just the start of where she wanted to go with these bastards once she got her hands on them. "- These assholes are slavers. The guys we thought were warrior Grounders who tried to get into my home are not civilians- These monsters are monsters that-"

"Made your life Hell, made my life Hell." Ontari's eyes looked almost feral. If Ontari could gut one of the strays walking about from here- she would have done it- without question… and offered up slices of the man's flesh wrapped in some sliced fruit to feast off of to him while she was murdering the fool for all the bad things that had been done to her.

Bryan had to reign her in quickly before she marched down there and got killed.

"Let's come up with a plan with Bellamy." Bryan stated as he studied the situation. Ontari looked to almost want to kill him. "The only reason that I am stating this is that there are like… eighty guys down there and I think at your best, you can only take ten. That and Jasper would be a mess if you got killed." Hearing Jasper's name brought Ontari back to reality. Realizing that Bryan was looking out for her out of the need of someone she loved was enough for her to pull back. This wasn't a retreat in her eyes, but something else. That she realized that she now had a family that was looking out for her.

Ontari looked at him with compassion now.

Bryan now realized the impact of the words that he had spoken as he didn't just make a friend today, but he had gained a sister in arms- given how far she pulled back to acting like a normal person now, he might have gotten a bridesmaid for his wedding with Nate. Probably even a farm out of the deal- maybe even a chieftain-ship here in the Ice Nation because of how he had pulled her back from her bloodlust to acting like a sane leader. It showed as Ontari was in: "I like you now... will you kill beside me? Because I like the way you think" mode as she pulled back into the shadows next to him.

"Let the Invasion begin." Ontari grinned. Bryan would later learn as the plan came together the culmination of all those nights Ontari plotted revenge as she had cried herself to sleep under Nia's thumb. Ontari would finally have some closure on this day. Ontari wasn't just some faceless Grounder… She was like Hundred- and with the Arkers she had spent time around, she was someone who just wanted to live her life in peace given half the chance. Today was the day that she would slay her ghosts that had haunted her for such a long time.


Echo had heard her guards speaking and shook in fear. They were going to bury her alive in this chest under Wanheda's orders. Full panic set in when she heard the digging. If it wasn't for the gag in her mouth Echo would be screaming. As Echo felt the chest being picked up off the ground she screamed as loud as she could through her gag. As her would be coffin was jostled about, Echo pictured the faces of her family, especially that of Kore, her little sister.

Nia had offered Echo knowledge about where to find her sibling after those slavers hit her village-

The only reason that Echo had traveled so far into Trikru territory was due to the fact that she had heard rumors that those slavers were going after some set of villages on those lands.

Getting captured by the Mountain Men was not part of her plan.

Neither was betraying Bellamy.

A Brave warrior such has herself. Oath bound to family, to watch over his younger sister Octavia under the last words of his late Mother.

Her family would have been proud that she would have such an ally.

Bellamy swore while they were trapped in those cages that if he ever got a chance he would slay every last one of those Blood drinking monsters if he ever got out. Maybe he did take a number of kills to his name in achieving that goal.

Betraying him by leaving during the battle. Echo still kicked herself over that. Bellamy was willing to place his life before hers. Even bleed for her even if she wasn't one of his own people- little less than from the same clan.

Then to return to those lands to repay him for helping her had been twisted by Nia for her own goals. Echo was honor bound to repay the man who had saved her life- But Nia her queen wanted her war. The only joy Echo would have if she died was knowing that Nia's spirit would be ripped asunder for all eternity by those she had attacked right after her body was burned.

But for Bellamy... all chance of finding a love... a warrior to stand by his side in battle and warm his bed at night... That had been lost because of a decision she had made.

He had found a woman to be close to... to share a bed with. Echo had felt hurt. Maybe that was why she didn't speak of what was to come.

She couldn't tell. Nia would have killed her. Knowledge loss. Sister lost. Family lost.

Nia wanted her war...

Now Nia was Dead...

Echo was on the run because of those actions. Until she was caught. Stripped naked and tossed into what would be soon her tomb.

Now she was going to be buried alive like those she had been part of in sending to their deaths.

If Bellamy had gotten his hands on that Mountain man Emerson- Echo pictured all of the things Bellamy would have done to that man. The Glorious violence.

Echo would have participated in settling that score too by Bellamy of Skaikru's side. She would have decided to become one of the Nokru. Fuck Nia and those who followed her. The Ravens would have their fill soon with their flesh between their beaks.

Now Echo was going to be buried alive. Food for the worms, and all of the burrowing beasts that made the ground their home.

Echo didn't pray for herself, it was beneath her. Until now.

Now she needed to set things right in this world or the next.

Kicking against the side of her future wooden tomb she started to pray and maybe her god would take pity upon her and give her the strength to escape. .

Bori- I know that your glowing sprite ass doesn't care about my ass- but all I ask that I be given the chance to put things right, that I might be able to see my sister Kore safe again- I know where I am going I may never see her again given my actions. Just give me the strength to escape this prison. To put things right- To see my sister find a lover and be joined in marriage.

Give me strength to-

Echo felt the chest she was in get knocked over and she went sprawling out.

Free-

Echo tried to stand, but several individuals were upon her.

Echo struggled to stand but the weight was too much as a strange smelling cloth was pulled over her face and blackness came. The feeling of large fingers across her face were so large that she swore they belonged to a giant as Echo's breath left her body.

"Don't fight it-" A woman's voice spoke to her as death claimed her to drag to the next world for her punishment.

Nooo-.

Echo awoke to sounds of hammering taking place. The Gag in her mouth prevented her from screaming.

No... They were nailing her into her tomb. They were going to bury her alive like the people who had moved into the caves of the Mountain Men.

Then the sound of a boring drill shot her awake as it dug into something hard.

No... she was already dead... sentenced to the underworld for her punishment.

Gonasleng could be heard being spoken around her.

"Drill here... no... here looks to be a good spot." A voice called out.

Mountain men... No... They were going to bleed her to death and harvest her. Echo turned around as she felt her hands were bound against metal bars.

Echo turned to see that her prison was being nailed shut... without her in it. The drill was being used to put holes in the roof of the box.

A semi-naked dark-skinned woman was dressing into some Skaikru warrior uniform and pulling her messy brown hair back into a knot. The distinct Trikru tattoos on both of her biceps stated that she had many kills to her name. Probably kills of the Mountain Men and the Reapers she had slain.

Among the group was Wanheda and several other individuals. The smell of ale could be waffling off of the woman and as well as Echo herself from the clear coating the rags she was now wearing. Someone had drenched her in the ale... Crap they were going to burn her alive...

"Murphy, Nate... I need to make sure that the speaker and battery pack we are putting into the box has that rumbler set up to run on the sensors I put on Echo..." Another woman... Raven... the blacksmith or toolmaker was putting something in.

"Understood." One of the men spoke. "Emori... I need you to help me with the leads here." Raven spoke.

"Looks like Echo is awake." Echo turned to the woman that had been dressing. Giving how she looked and sounded... she might have been related to Raven... Maybe a sibling... like Bellamy and his warrior sister Octavia...

"Thanks Luna..." Clarke spoke as she started to come over to look at Echo. Luna of Skaikru proceeded to finish dressing into her Warrior clothing before moving to moving over to help the others work on the chest. The way that the woman was pulling back her hair spoke that she was ensuring that it was close to her scalp. Given the large fluffy mass of her hair she must have been one to of the more Tribal ones of Bellamy's people.

"Clarke... you helped save members of my family. Even though we were not of your kru... all of the things I did to go against you. To fight you..."

"Bekka was your family, you wanted a better life for your child. I was a fool to not understand the life you were trying to build for yourself and those orphans. After all of the conflict you have been through and the losses. It wasn't my place to press the mantle of the Flame upon you." Wanheda was speaking to the warrior out of compassion. "Skaikru is the thirteenth Kru, you are Thirteenth Station... So was she... We are kin... You fight for what you believe is right. I will not fault you for that. That was something Lexa taught me. But thank you for helping me ensure that some justice is held." The woman nodded.

"I am trying my best not to break my oath of peace."

"As I with my oath of Healing." Clarke's words held weight as an understanding was reached between the two women.

Thirteenth Station?

Bekka?

Echo's mind was racing to place the information together.

Pramheda Bekka?

Was this woman from the same sacred place that Bekka had come from?

Echo was going to be judged by a member of Bekka's people, and worse... she was friends with Clarke the Slayer of Mountkru.

Clarke turned her attention towards Echo...

"Well... looks like you are a little worse for wear but you will live." Clarke moved her hand to pull up the hood of the robe Echo was now wearing. Taking up the bottle from the floor the Commander of Death proceeded to throw some more of that noxious potion upon Echo's flesh and clothes before picking up a small bottle with yellow fluid in it and splashing it along Echo's leg. The scent was fairly discernible as being that of urine.

"Clarke, you need to put more urine along her legs... Remember we have to make her look like and smell like a drunk that has pissed herself." The one called Murphy called out from his post by the empty Prisoner Chest. Clarke nodded at this as she proceeded to grab Echo's leg and pull it away. Echo fought back until Murphy stopped drilling holes into her coffin and got up and walked over to her.

"Listen... we are trying to save your life you Ice Nation bitch." The man knelt down by her. He looked like a fairly scruffy character. But the tone of his voice spoke of cunning and use any means to survive. "I was in that spot you are finding yourself in currently." This is when he leaned in. "So... unless you want to be strapped to a log, drenched in cooking oil and set ablaze by the folks whose kin you helped kill or worse... chopped up before being burned. If I were you... I would start cooperating with the folks trying to save your sorry little ass."

Why were they trying to save her?

Then she got her answer.

"Hope that Bellamy can convince Ontari to use a Shock Lash on Echo here instead of a gun being used like everyone wants her to."

Bellamy?

What was a Shock Lash?

Echo shuffled in fear...

"Echo of Azgeda." The Female warrior spoke. "Ontari of your people due to events Prior to Heda Lexa's death, Lexa struck a deal to make her a member of Wanheda's sect of warriors, and Wanheda's Second." The tone of the woman spoke that though civil, had chosen to be peaceful, not out of weakness, but to because she could be that violent and dangerous. Death made flesh. "Bellamy is one of these warriors and because of this has decided to teach Ontari along with Clarke here their warrior code as well as give her the education she needs to become Heda." The woman moved to pick up a jacket of the Skaikru. "You are in the presence of the Warriors of the Hundred and they are doing their best to fulfill their code of Right of the Kill… Which Ontari has claimed the right to." Echo stayed still.

Shit... They were going to execute her… And Ontari was going to be the executioner.

Echo growled. She wasn't going to die due to Skaikru corruption of her Commander... Then the one named Luna grabbed her by the scruff of her neck.

"Echo... this means that you are bound by the right to defend yourself. Ontari's right to claim your life is her's and her's alone. Which means you are under her protection until she decides on your punishment. Even Wanheda cannot interfere with such a claim, she is only to ensure that you are protected till then." Then with a bare foot Luna leaned her weight into the meaty part of the inside of Echo's knelt leg. "You are thinking we are going to kill you... No... We are trying to save your life. Nia was a monster, you are as much as a victim as Ontari was. We just want the truth. For good or ill, it will be heard when the judgement of your crimes takes place."

Wait... they were not going to kill her... They were trying to protect her.

Echo now reevaluated the situation.

Her clothes... She looked like a drunkard... Smelled like a Drunkard.

There were bits of hair attached to the hood of the clothing she was in.

Moppy... Reddish Brown hair...

Echo looked up to Luna...

Luna smelled of the same foul ale...and her hair was...

Echo made the connection in this moment.

This was her hair that was glued to this hood around her face!

Echo felt the gag in her mouth...

It was the same one she was chewing on for the last few days...

Why was it still there?

Then Echo felt something stuck into her ear.

"Turn on the Mic..." Raven spoke, this was when Murphy touched something behind her ear which could have been the foresaid On.

"Mic is on... Okay Echo I need you to muffle."

Muffle?

Echo just growled... A loud growl could be heard coming from the box.

"Okay... Speaker works." Raven spoke.

Wait... if that was her growl... They were going to put her voice into the box but not her...

"Firing up the rumbler." Raven spoke as the hum could be heard. "Okay Emori... I need you to shake the bracelet I gave you."

"Okay... Shaking the bracelet," the tattooed woman shook the bracelet in her hand and the wom wow sound started to come from the box. After a moment the box started to jump.

"Okay stop..." Raven spoke as she reached over and started twist into the box to adjust something. "Try it again." Emori repeated the process after Raven got out. "We're good... Load up the body." Raven said as Echo then realized that several weighted bags were being placed in.

With a few pounding of nails placed into the trunk and Emori shaking the bracelet, the now "alive" box acted like she was inside of it.

"Nate... I need you to get the guards." Clarke spoke to the male warrior who nodded and with a limp started to move away. "Murphy, could you and Emori keep an eye on our Mountain Nymph here."

"Sure... Not the only Ice Nation girl that I have kept an eye on that wanted to kill me and Emori." Murphy spoke.

Echo felt some understanding in why they were doing this. But Bellamy and Ontari working together was beyond her.

Maybe the rumors were true about something happening to Ontari because of some witch named Alie attacking Polis with some ancient weapon of persuasion and thrall. It might be the reason that Skaikru was doing their best to help the new Commander. Wanheda seemed to have respect for the new commander despite being her enemy.

As Emori placed the bracelet on Echo's arm and realized that as the guards entered something more was going on. That line of inquiry had to wait until her 'coffin' was buried to find out.

Echo had been given a reprieve by the gods, she didn't know which ones, but she had been given a fighting chance for survival. The one that she had prayed for.


Luna sat in the Skaikru equivalent of a dungeon/brig. It wasn't much but it served its purpose. Only a few times had she been forced to place someone into a prison like the one here back on her old oil rig home.

Clarke and her friends being part of that list.

Luna seemed to be a bit more introspective now in light of recent events.

She had been played by Alie... Lost her husband through a calculated move to ensure that she would never side with Clarke... But in the end... The damage was done.

Luna's kru had been decimated by the plague Alie had unleashed upon the world.

But she still had a Kru...

She could rebuild...

Now looking at Echo of Azgeda who was tied up inside of the cell, she watched the woman cry occasionally as the weight of her actions were being weighted out in her mind.

This woman was the topic of so much trouble, yet had not been the source of it. Just the messenger of it.

Luna remembered those days...

Being a messenger of death.

Pain, hurting, sadness. Wanting to feel something in her life other than the loss of losing her own brother by her own hand. Those were the days where she had almost become a savage animal. Luna had stripped every last piece of her clothing off that she had worn the day of her Conclave as she had started to lose her humanity...

Hunting rabbits in the nude and eating their uncooked flesh like some wild beast.

Catching fish with her bare hands.

Then one day by the shore... a Storm had come, crashed over the rocks she was on and pulled her out to sea.

Luna didn't remember how long she had been in the water or what was happening to her. But the storm did something to her as it beat into her naked exposed flesh. Stinging her into a state of rawness that being skinned alive would have been considered a state of orgasmic bliss.

Between wanting to die, something in her wanted to live.

That was when a small overturned boat that had seen better days floated her way. It had provided shelter from the burning painful sting of the relentless rain that had beat her raw.

Her need to survive took over and Luna started to want to live again.

When the storm passed Luna had gotten out from underneath the overturned boat and tried to flip it over. Then some weird gray fish creature swam underneath her and proceeded to knock the old vessel over.

The creature sensed that she was different as it moved to nuzzle her stomach.

This creature was wild, yet civil.

It chirped at her. It sensed that she was hurting and let her touch it.

Her wrinkled hands touched the taught flesh of the animal.

Every last pain she had was released as the creature slowly communicated to her that it was willing to listen.

The sea creature had touched her soul as it allowed her to take hold of it.

Being pulled under the water Luna hadn't realized how fast the creature could move.

It pulled her into its world and let her be as her body relaxed and found its long-needed peace.

Here... Luna wasn't a Nightblood, a warrior, a young girl, a murderer. She was a guest.

Luna gave herself to the power of the sea and found the freedom she had so longed for.

More creatures like the one she was with found her and they started to swim with them.

Luna was let up to the surface back to the boat that she had been clinging to.

Luna didn't understand until one of these benevolent sea creatures swam up with an ore for her to use.

Another brought up some fish.

Then Luna realized why they had sought her out.

They wanted her to follow them.

The boat, the food, the ore... They brought what was she needed.

Wherever they wanted her to go... she wasn't going to argue... sitting in the boat she started to row.

The day was getting longer and hotter, but she didn't care.

Her reddened burnt flesh seemed to be part of her right of passage with these creatures of the sea.

Along the way one of the grey fish had found some large piece of plastic tarp and with a little effort, Luna was able to transform it into a crude poncho to cover her naked form by tearing a hole in it. Somewhere Luna still had that garment, but at the time she thanked the sea gods for the modest protection.

After some time the grey fishes had guided her to a strange structure emerging out of the water. It was a grand tower that she would later learn was an oil rig. A place that was once used to pump out a black liquid called oil from the bottom of the sea to fuel the mighty machines of old.

Whatever these creatures wanted... they wanted her to go there with them.

As the day slowly drifted into dusk the size of this structure before her showed how immense it was.

Each of the four legs diving into the sea so deep that she swore that they went on forever into that darkness.

The grey fish had her guide her boat underneath the large structure and after a moment Luna saw what they were guiding her to: A small launch dock at the bottom of the structure. The structure seemed to be locked to one of the legs and was floating. Nearby there were tie-offs for boats to lash themselves to.

Paddling closer the grey fish helped nudge her small vessel to the dock and Luna was able to quickly grab an aging piece of rope and tied it to the moorings. Seeing a ladder that went up one of the legs, she decided to take the incentive and start to climb.

Once she reached the upper sections the rough metal teeth of the floor started to bite into feet. Tearing into her poncho she rigged up some crude footwear to keep the underside of her feet from tearing before proceeding. Walking around the large metal structure, the place looked have been converted into some sort of living space. There had been tools left around, water vessels overflowing with water and a large built garden that had been so overgrown that it would take time to hack back to get some decent fruit that wasn't rotting on the vine.

Then she found the body of an old man in a bed. Nearby sat a naked woman with long curly red hair who was comforting herself by caressing the hand of the individual who had been close to her.

The woman turned to look at Luna, no hate nor fear in her eyes.

"The Dolphins brought you." The woman raised up and walked away from the man who after a moment of observation wasn't breathing. "What is your name child?" Luna braced herself for a fight she wasn't to tell this person her name, but the woman placed a gentle hand on Luna's clenched fist and a moment later Luna was asleep as the fight was removed from her in that moment.

Luna awoke later in a clean bed. Body cleaned of salt and other filth, sunburns tended to, and a warm bowl of stew next to her. Luna looked down to see that though she was naked a set of clothes had been left out for her.

The woman now sat clothed in only a simple ragged dress that came barely past the woman's knees.

"You will heal little one..." Luna patted around for a weapon and went for the spoon inside of the bowl of stew. "You have been out for two days... eat." Luna moved to place the bowl before the woman holding up the spoon like a shank to stab the woman if this was a trap.

"You eat- I don't-" the woman moved and slurped up a good mouthful of the stew and swallowed.

"It is good stew- and not poisoned." Luna took the bowl back.

"In a world full of violence-" Luna watched as the woman looked at her. "You are weak."

"Not weak- Just different." The woman spoke. "Don't ever think that the reason I'm peaceful is because I don't know how to be violent. I am peaceful because I see before me a girl who is cold, starving, who is trying to find warmth and food. You have both before you. Don't ever mistake my silence for ignorance, my calmness for acceptance or my kindness for weakness." The woman looked at her. "I know when to be aggressive and when to be patient, little one." Luna started to realize that she was in the presence of someone who could take her apart without thinking a second thought.

"You have a name?"

"Many names- as of now I am Nameless."

"How come you don't have name. Because the one you named you the old man is dead?"

"No... I have always been called Nameless... kept death from finding me." Luna growled at the woman.

"Well Nameless... I am Death... I am fear... I am the horror that comes in the middle of the night. I am the one who mothers tell their children of... I am-"

"Everyone thinks that they are the beast until they truly understand what a beast actually is. All I see is a scared young woman in pain; one who has seen too much suffering in her short existence. So... who was the last person you killed?" Luna pulled back. "Ah... Death... I have struck a nerve in the one named for the reaper of the next world... Was the person a lover... family?" Luna swallowed. "Sibling..." Luna tried to glare. "Brother..." Luna pulled the sheets around her closer to pull in the safety of the warmth they provided. Luna had never been that scared in her life. To have her defenses torn through so quickly. But the hardest truths in life are the ones that cut deep into one's past. If a blade had been presented to woman before her. Luna would have wished for a quick thrust of the blade into her heart or to the base of her skull.

Had Luna been that much pain?

How had she missed that familiar pain in one like Octavia?

Luna thought back to her recent events with Raven... Clarke… Octavia. Now with Echo. She had been in that same position as they had been. But Nameless had pulled it out of without even touching her. Maybe by remembering how Nameless had done it, she could do the same for Echo and Octavia.

She had to remember that suffering she had endured and not ever to forget it again.

Now she had to look at her past with all of its jagged thorns and sharp edges to help guide her to make peace with her past. Additionally, she needed to find those lessons to teach to those who had taken up the title of death like Octavia and Echo had.

Luna had come far since that day cowering naked under that blanket as her title of death was taken from her with the start of three simple words:

"My brother Gaius ..." Luna was able to force out as Luna remembered that point back on the old Oil Rig. "I killed him at my conclave... I didn't want to kill him. There needed to be a new Commander." Luna declared. Tears were flowing down her face in waves. "I didn't want to kill my friend Lexa... She has the skills to be a better Commander than I..." Luna felt her insides feel like she was being disemboweled. "I didn't want to die! She needed to live!"

"You fled to give your friend the chance to become the leader of your people." Nameless spoke as Luna nodded. The woman moved and came near her. With a gentle touch of her hands she embraced Luna and let the young woman flow into the curves of her body. "Repeat to me: I give myself... to the miracle... of the sea." Luna felt the words and the compassion behind them. As Luna repeated them a peace flowed over her like nothing she had ever experienced. Luna cried for those she had lost. She cried for the life she wanted. She cried for the wrongs she had done. She cried for the hope she wanted.

With each tear in Nameless's gentle embrace Luna let go of a lifetime of pain in those arms and found peace.

In the days that came, Luna found herself.

Nameless returned her late husband to the waters from which he had come with Luna's help.

The warrior that had so cultivated death had wanted to find a life and the peace that this place so offered.

The small tasks that she had before her was a small victory in this path she had found herself on.

As time passed survivors of a fishing village would come to the rig seeking sanctuary.

It was offered.

Luna learned to live and love again under Nameless's tutelage.

Then one day Nameless had left stating that her time in that place was only transitory as would be Luna's. That was years ago, but Luna longed to be near her mentor again.

In the years that passed Luna would meet Boo and his newborn daughter Adria. She would fall in love with both. With Boo becoming her lover and Adria her daughter. Luna who had once loved death had found love among the living. Something she cherished more than any treasure that would ever come her way.

Luna remembered the summers when Adria was younger when the summer rains would come and they would strip naked and dance on the deck during the light summer rains singing with glee. Both of them acting like wild children embracing their freedom and sanctuary among the sea.

"Rain, rain, wash away the sorrow and pain. Bring forth Happiness and play."

A simple song that a child would make up and bathing the salt free of their flesh were the things that Luna held precious to her heart.

Those were the days of innocence in a world filled of war and pain.

A place where Luna sought comfort in the nights where the nightmares of her past returned.

A place where she built a fortress against the hurt in her heart.

The place where she felt comfort spooning next to Boo in the darkness of the night.

But also, a place where Nameless had helped her find peace.

Luna had loved Nameless as the woman who had saved her soul, body and her heart.

Luna looked at the woman before her.

Echo...

Echo was in the same place she had been. Like Octavia, this woman needed to know she wasn't alone.

"Echo..." Luna spoke as she stood up and walked over the woman tied up in the cell before her. "You are in pain... I will help you through it." With the gentleness of her mentor... Luna decided that maybe this was the place she was meant to be at. Luna touched the woman's' hand and began to pull the pain out of the woman as she worked to loosen the gag around the woman's mouth. A bit of compassion was needed and... Like those with fire in their heart... Well... Luna braced herself for the spit coming her way.

As it came free, Echo coughed and cried.

"Let us begin." Luna announced.


Ontari looked at the scale model of Farm Station that Bellamy had constructed out of found items he had found around the basecamp. Between the four campfires logs a few stones and a child's toy horse that kept being moved around by the child it had been borrowed from. The map provided some insight into what had taken place in the days since the Skaikru/Floukru repair team had come in and later left.

From a distance the members of Skaikru looked to have returned to their old flying village ship to repair it and possibly fly it off from where it had crashed on Azgeda lands.

Seeing that Ice Nation soldiers had come and taken them away in what looked to be an armed escorted round up, had provided the opportunity for the place to be invaded as the small group of warriors left behind were overwhelmed by this attacking force. Harper had commented that during the time while Arkada had been abandoned just after Alie had moved through the place that not all of the defenses had been set up.

It would take time for these individuals to find out where all of the secure points were, but the least obvious ones would provide an opportunity to at least get some reconnaissance as was the case with Emerson.

Ontari winced at that name.

The Mountkru that Nia had worked with to start her war.

A war that neither of them won.

This is when Jasper looked out at the scene.

"Guys... The folks in there think that most of us that were living there had been captured... What if... well... what if we act like a hunting party or some salvage crew that was returning. I mean... Well we have some of the salvage that Farm Station brought back."

"Walk through the front door." Ontari was looking at the situation.

"It is a plausible story." Bellamy was looking at it from that perspective.

"Yeah... I mean... if anyone asks why we are poking around, maybe it is to find out where our people were taken." Jasper stated.

"Sounds like a plan." Harper declared. "But what if they are like Emerson... I mean Ontari has some history with these folks." Ontari nodded.

"I do..." Ontari winced at the horrors she had endured under Nia. "These are slavers... They took me from my village under Nia's orders." Ontari had to swallow to push through the pain. Then biting her lip and clearing her throat she pushed through to give the information that the other warriors she was with needed. "They migrate through various villages they have raided and emptied of those there." Ontari looked at the model. "They usually raid the stores of supplies before moving on to the last raiding point to pick up any stragglers left behind."

"So, the only reason they are here is to look for supplies and possibly use it as a way point to rest for a few days before they head on to some other location." Monty looked at the scene.

"Yeah... But given that they were hitting this place pretty often speaks that this isn't a stopping point." Bryan spoke as his body language dictated that this lone Skaikru settlement wasn't just attacked often. It was being attacked for a reason.

"Bryan... I know that this is hard... But we are on the clock here. What do you remember about the attacks?" Ontari sensed that building a bridge between this young warrior and herself might help not only her people but his as well. Taking a knife from her belt she placed it into the young man's hands and knelt down before him letting the knife touch her neck.

"I am your enemy... I wish you harm, you wish vengeance for those who attacked your friends and family." Clovis was about to sprint over but Ontari raised her hand. "I do this so that you may remember the things that drove you into the violence that stains your immortal spirit." Forcing a struggle with the knife Bryan's mind started to drift back along the river of the past and was brought back to the dark moments of the attacks on this land... his new home.

"I remember it being cold outside... children playing... a attack... the one where Monty's father was killed." Bryan spoke of the events of that violent day. "They rode over the hills yelling, they seemed not to be interested in talking with us. They were angry, they wanted blood."

"Do you know what they were yelling?" Ontari jerked Bryan's hand like she was fighting against the blade.

"It was something in Grounder."

"Can you mouth it out?" Monty stated.

"I think so." Bryan said as he spoke the rough words. Those words helped explain why Farm Station had been attacked so many times when it had crashed. Ontari's blood ran cold with vengeance as she knew who had ordered her theft from her home but never could prove it till now. The ancient adage: The enemy of thy enemy is thy friend rung in Ontari's ears. Many a nightmare would end tonight by her and these warriors' hands.


Kore was sitting outside of that cursed place that had been her home for many moons since she had been brought there. For the first time in ages as the blacksmith hammered the chisel into the bolts of her shackles she felt relief. Kore felt her wrists jump a few times as the metal of her shackles parted with each blow of the hammer. It was nothing compared to the weapon that the warriors of the Skaikru had used to burn those who had taken her from her home.

A weapon that was so small that it could fit in her small hands. Produced a heat that rivaled the flames of any forge. Struck with the noise that made the loud thunder clap sound like a twig breaking in the woods even behind a door that would even keep out the Mountain Men.

Her own still ringing ears spoke to that.

Riley had told her of a weapon like this being used when Skaikru had first come to the ground to protect themselves against an ambush on a bridge... till now she thought he was making the story up.

Now...

Now... she wished that she had such a weapon the day the slavers attacked her Azgeda village.

Kore could still see the blade of her older sister Echo slicing through those flesh thieves with all of her might during that raid. Every blow going through the horde before her only slowed her distance between her and her sister. Then a pair of arms had grabbed her and she was pulled away from her family and her home.

Kore prayed to the gods each night before she went to sleep that she would see her sister in this world or the next. Rescue by her sister or by the one called the Skairippa, the feared warrior of the Skaikru, filled her dreams each night. Those brief escapes from reality kept her hopes strong as she did her best to survive the living nightmare she had been trapped in. Neither dream did come true... But her rescue did happen.

As Kore looked over to examine one of the group that had saved her, the one known as Boudica Iceni of Polaris Station. A woman of Strength, Power, dangerous with a blade in her hands, a complete knowledge of how to heal or kill a person at her disposal with foresaid blade, showed that one could do more with the right allies by their side than an army of fools.

It wasn't until after the explosion that Kore found out the truth about Boudica and where she was from.

The truth was the woman was Boudica of Azgeda and she had joined Skaikru to help kill the slavers... Boudica had gone as far to wear their clothing and something that made her face scars look like burns. That very substance was sluffing off of her face now to reveal the warrior scars on her face. Kore didn't know of the specific family, but from the look of some of the markings, she looked to be from the paw lands near the lake people near the south.

The look in those eyes spoke volumes that she too had a grudge with the Slavers. What caught Kore's attention more was the reference that this woman had the title of being Second to Wanheda... The Commander of Death. A person she didn't know of, but given the reference that even the Azgeda warriors were giving... this was a person she would seek out to serve under. Maybe that was the reason that Prince Roan... Now king, had gone out to gather the Skaikru that had come here from their other sky villages to aid him against these flesh thieves.

To have Wanheda... by his side... Kore could see the stories that would be coming forth. A Commander of that quality would even be one that even Commander Lexa would even bow to out of respect.

Some of the stories floating around... Wanheda may have even done that considering Lexa as an equal and an ally to his or her cause.

Maybe it was the reason for their return...

Roan, Lexa and Wanheda as a combined force would keep anyone in line.

Queen Nia may have fallen by their hands and thus creating an alliance that would keep any kru or rogue nation from rebelling against them.

Kore needed to know more.

Kore started to search her memories for details... anything to make sense of this new alliance.

Mostly when Kore had been brought into this empty village, things looked like they had been left in place. Like they had been in the middle of doing some work on their home when they had been taken by Azgeda soldiers. What if Wanheda and Roan needed them for some grand battle or crisis at hand, and when these warriors had come back here they had found that someone was living in their home.

That was probably why the Slavers attempted to kill so many of the Skaikru thinking that enough died off, then no one would come back to this village.

When the remaining Azgeda soldiers didn't reply to messages that Roan had sent that he was letting them return to their village ship, this might have lead Roan and the Skaikru to think that these squatters might either be seeking shelter after a plague had wiped out the people here- or worse it might be someone that they needed to get out so they could continue working on getting the ship flight worthy again because Roan ordered them off of his lands.

The slavers could have faked the first one but not the latter.

When the Skaikru warriors had come in, they for the most part acted like they were there to salvage equipment to repair their settlement of Arkadia. Given the wooden sigil they had been given by King Roan... not Queen Nia spoke to the change in leaders of her homeland. Maybe that was why the Slavers were so jittery. They had the symbols of the alliance with the old Azgeda ruler and they didn't know what the new ruler was going to do given he had a number of his own captured Skaikru. Realizing this that maybe these Skaikru hadn't been captured, but something else may have put the slavers on edge? Maybe Roan wanted something from the Skaikru and maybe rounding them up was his way of ensuring it was done and their release to continue working may have been their payment of services done.

Looking around at the group surrounding them now... Kore realized that not all of these people were warriors.

Healers, farmers, and some weird crops from lands she didn't know of. But maybe that was the reason why they wanted to get back in. This was their home.

Maybe if she listened more she could have found out what was going on with her nation as well as the other peoples of the far-off lands her people had dealings with.

Kore started to think back to the events earlier in the day in search for the details of what was going on with the Skaikru and her own Clan.

Dropping the sign Riley had written for her to drop by these warriors with the words: "Moving us tomorrow. Help!" had set the events in motion. Between that message and Riley being seen by these warriors had sped up the events in question. Maybe the reason they were there was urgent?

Something important was needed from the Skaikru and it may have had to do with their flying vessel. If it was a flying ship, then getting it fixed so that it could fly again, meant that Roan wanted a Sky ship of his own... or something that they could fly a group of people somewhere under the flag of Azgeda.

Kore leaned back as she looked around more and started to listen to bits of conversation.

There were Free Floukru here...

Floukru were sailors...

Did Roan make a deal with these sailors to help teach them how to sail these Sky Ships.

That part of them needing the ship was true. So were they trying to fix the ship to fly off or like the stories of old, like the ones about a people called the Vi'kings, who used to sail off to far off shores for either trade or war. These Vi'kings used to pull their ships aground, flip them upside down and live in as shelters until they were able to build new ships to sail home.

Well the village ship was run aground... Maybe they were trying to flip it so that they could live in it until the task was done. It fit with all of the stuff that was lying around. What if they had a new Sky ship somewhere else? Maybe Roan asked them to teach his warriors and ship builders how to make them. That explained why they were here. Then if Roan had learned what he had from them, then... Letting them go might have been part of his deal. Which had led to the Skaikru coming here and finding their Sky ship in the condition it had been in when Kore and the others had been imprisoned in there.

Kore moved back to her memories of her Rescue. Boudica seemed to have gained some powers while being with the Skaikru. Was this gift, or power, or knowledge Roan was willing to gain for his people part of this?

Boudica seemed to almost have a sense that allowed her to see through the walls of the sky ship. It had been used well in the attack, what if Boudica was learning to use this gift as being one Roan's new Sky Ship Generals?

Boudica's gift had come in handy when they had made their move and taken the Slavers by surprise.

As the members of the Skaikru got into their position to attack, they had looked at the room they were in not as a disadvantage, but as an advantage. For the most part their mission had been one of assault, not rescue. That change of plans seemed to have dictated the options they had in their assault. Because of learning of the situation of those imprisoned, these warriors seemed to have decided that they needed to protect these people from harm. Thus, their prison had become the place in which the battle would be fought.

The way Riley was acting he understood what they were planning.

Riley had told her about his small group being surrounded by warriors and them having to use the flame oil from their scout craft to set them afire. The only place that was safe for them was inside of their vessel. So... if these warriors were thinking the same thing, then all the needed was to close the door and set a fire outside and burn the Slavers.

Thus, it had to do with that machine that was inside of the vault room they were in.

They all seemed to have gathered around a large piece of equipment that was in the large fortress room of this once flying village as a small cup of something that really burnt her eyes was poured from it.

Whatever it was... it looked like water, but they were treating like it was like it was boiling cooking oil right from the frying pan. The blonde woman with them with the milkmaid braids in her hair did her best not to look at her friend. Riley was the same way, but in unspoken terms, they both knew what was going to be happening next. A distraction was needed as several took out the small device that they had created while another, Jasper, had gone into the upper portion of the great ship according to Boudica's references to the others while using her magical senses. Something was said about turning off the ventilation fans in the section he was in and turning off the fire suppression alarm. Whatever that was. Then Boudica waved her fingers around across some unseen controls by the machine she was working on and it was done. Then the small group that was outside quickly rushed in and slammed the great vault door behind them with all of their might.

A moment later the explosion took place.

After the smoke cleared one of the remaining Slavers that had been trapped in the room with them was picked up off of the floor and was about to be killed by the ones named Bellamy and Boudica, but they were stopped by Bryan's words: "Not your right of the kill... he is Monty's... this is the man who murdered your father."

The one named Monty who had short hair and brown eyes picked up a work tool from the floor and walked over and smashed the bolt holding the slaves in place. With their freedom... Well the lead slaver was slain by those he had enslaved.

Now as she watched as the warrior Boudica helped treat Riley, she thought about her sister... Echo. Once word spread that she had been rescued... Kore could picture her sister riding here in full war paint to pick her up in her arms.

Kore took off her boots and rubbed her feet on the grass in front of her and soaked in the soft feeling of it. It felt good to feel free. Right now, all she wanted was to have these damn shackles removed from her wrists, a warm blanket around her and a full bowl of soup in her tummy.

She looked at the others that had been with her as they were adjusting to seeing a mixed force of warriors around them tending to what they needed.

The Azgeda warrior Boudica that had been with Skaikru during their attack to reclaim their village was doing her best to check over the wounded and injured from the battle. A few had been knocked around from the explosion, while others had old injuries that needed to be cared for. Boudica gave off this aura of being much more powerful of a warrior then she let on to be. But this tending to the wounded spoke that it was something she like doing. The warrior had healers training and the only other person she knew of that had such training was Riley's friend, the Skaikru warrior Clarke: The Golden Wolf... The Skai Princess.

Maybe it was that there was a time for the sword and a time for a blade and herbs to be used. For one's like Boudica and Clarke, one moment they would be fighting death then the next bringing it forth… Kore was impressed as both skills were needed in battle, both during and after. To take a life was one thing, to save a life was another.

Riley had told her stories about Clarke's skill in treating those who had been hurt during the many battles with the locals around the Mountain. Kore liked hearing the stories where Octavia was mentioned, but the ones where Clarke showed that she was a fierce warrior as well... well Kore hoped that one day she would meet her.

Watching the people move about and check out the old flying ship to see what could to be repaired and what was a complete loss. Kore started to notice that other than the free slaves Boudica looking after, she was always looking back to the large doorway of the ship whenever she had a chance.

Boudica looked concerned as she waited for someone to return.

The Skaikru warrior Jasper who had gone in to get something that he had left stashed in there before this Sky ship had come crashing to the ground.

Something was going on and the concern on the Azgeda warrior's face spoke it.

Their rescue wasn't part of their plan... But it had to do with some healing herb they were there to get. Given the way that people were talking, Jasper had once been a farmer who had lived on this Sky Ship and this was one of the crops he had grown while up there.

Names like Luna and Adria kept coming up and the word sickness started to chew at her. Had Boudica's family gotten sick and these warriors coming here to this place was their way of retrieving some medicine for their friends to help them? Kore wanted to know.

As the bolt on one of her Shackles gave way the one known as Bellamy knelt down next to her and he just grinned. This warrior had been near her since the moment where he grabbed her and shielded her with his body during the explosion. He looked like a person that her sister Echo might like to hold hands with. "I have a sister who looks a little like you. Her name is Octavia." Those words changed everything... No wonder he was sticking close to her. She looked like a member of his family.

Octavia...

Kore had heard the name.

Octavia of Skaikru... The Skairippa... Death from Above... Slayer of Slavers... That name was cursed many times throughout her time as a prisoner of the Slavers as those flesh thieves hated her with a vengeance as she kept picking them off whenever they had left these lands. Though the version she liked about Skairippa were the ones Riley had told through his stories about his Skaikru friends.

"You are her brother?" Kore spoke cautiously. Images of speaking without permission still brought back images of being struck by her captors.

"I am." The man shifted some to become more comfortable before her spot on the ground.

"I am Kore... kon Azgeda." That last bit seemed the hardest to say.

"Kore... I am Bellamy." the young warrior offered up his hand to her. It took a moment for her to reach out to take it and touch it. There was a tenderness about him that made her feel comfortable around him. A warrior with kindness in his heart. Kore grinned, maybe he would be a good husband for her sister Echo... Both warriors from feared peoples, yet having a strong sense of family to them.

"Bellamy... is... is Octavia kon Skaikru... is she older than you?" Kore held back on the Skairippa information. If he was Skairippa's sibling, she didn't want to earn the wrath of such a warrior if she accidentally let it known how much she knew about the feared warrior.

"Younger... a bit older than you." Kore didn't know that the warrior she had dreams about was so close to her own age. Most of her skill with the sword were far lacking. A spear in her hands, she was better with... well considering that her biggest target had been the pile of dirt her father had her stab to get her used to the action before letting her stab at a bit of rotted tree stump. But the sword had been her dream. Echo was planning on teaching her with a training sword just after the new moon, but Kore had been stolen from her home before that day had come.

"Oh..." Kore winced at the loud sound of one of the bolts on her restraints finally giving way. The blacksmith moved to pry the restraint further apart to give Kore the room she needed to wiggle out of the restraint. Kore took a deep breath as she slowly wiggled her hand out of the cuff of the shackle, the metal scraping across the meat of her palm and her knuckles before she was able to get free. After a few rubs with her other hand Kore bit her lip wincing at the itch she had on her wrist. With a nod to the Blacksmith she placed her other shackle up to be removed. "Can you tell me about her- Octavia the Skairippa- Death from Above?" With one of the shackles gone Kore felt more assertive. Maybe it was the reason that she let out what she knew about Octavia's name.

"Octavia the Skairippa?" Bellamy seemed to be interested in telling her the story given that little bit he was now interested in. "Alright... What do you know about her? I know what the words Skai and Rippa means. I think she has earned those through everything she has been through. Tell me some of the stories you have heard?" Bellamy spoke to Kore trying to get a sense of what she already knew about his sister. Some of it exaggerated, while other parts of it merely things elders told their young ones to keep their attention. But the real meaty parts that were true... Bori... Oh, those were the things she wanted to hear about.

"Well... she was born in a floating castle in the sky... She was one of the bad children that got caught doing some bad things and causing trouble for her parents. They along with the one called Clarke... the Skai Princess were sent down to the ground as their punishment. They faced monsters and warriors. They became feared and respected. They wielded fire like it was water. Strike one down and ten would come to avenge their fallen." Bellamy grinned at this. Looking over at Riley who returned a shrug to Bellamy. There was this unspoken communication between the two. Kore sensed that Riley had exaggerated some of the stuff about her hero Octavia.

"Well... you are right about some of that, but in truth... Octavia was a good child, but she got in trouble when she didn't have the proper documents to prove she was supposed to be at a celebration. Mostly I was the one who was with her when we got caught. I wanted to take my sister out to her first dance." Bellamy seemed a bit sad at that. "I snuck her out of me and my mom's quarters and headed to the dance. Mostly at this celebration we called Unity Day... there were a group of boys and girls who danced from the various stations and they wall wore masks to conceal their identities, Octavia disguised herself as one of them. Octavia was happy until the solar storm came and they needed to a head check to see who was there as everyone was heading into the shelter. During this time, I was working towards becoming an Ark Guard... the Warriors on the Ark. I attempted to act as a distraction for Octavia to get back to our home that was in a shielded section of the station. But Octavia had gotten lost on her way back there." This is when Bellamy seemed worried. But it wasn't about the story, more like an older sibling worrying about their younger sibling. "She got caught before I could do anything." Something bad might have happened to Octavia...

"Did she get hurt?"

"She was locked up..." There was something more to this-

"Did she hurt anyone? Do anything bad?"

"No-"

"What did she do?" Bellamy seemed that he wanted to say something more. Then one of the Skaikru spoke up along with Boudica.

"Back on the..." The Skaikru let Boudica speak.

"Back when Skaikru had all of their sky ships connected together they had grown in such numbers that they had issued a policy where a couple could only have one child. Octavia was a second born and was an illegal birth. With no documentation of her birth her mother was sentenced to death after they found out." Kore jumped some at this statement. The blacksmith relaxed nearby as he started to sharpen the edge of the pike so that he could proceed to remove the other shackle on her wrist. After so many being hammered off, Kore wasn't surprised that it hadn't been sooner. But the break allowed her to stay close to this figure but also the Blacksmith was also interested in this part of Skaikru's history in the sky. At this point the story took on a tone of guilt. Her hero was in a place where they had everything taken from them, family, honor and a since of compassion. These were the dark times for the heroes.

Now the challenge to reunite was coming about.

"Octavia lost her mother that day- I lost my position among the Guard- I couldn't even visit my sister for the year she was locked up." It took ages for him to respond again. "I got stuck being a janitor- one who mops the floors and cleans the walls of the Ark." Bellamy decided to let the truth be known. "One of the individuals known as Diana Sydney made me a deal that if I shot Jaha who was our leader at the time, I could stow away with my sister when her decent ship came to Earth." This caught everyone's attention who was from Skaikru. "I had shot Jaha- but I didn't kill him." Bellamy sensed that he was coming clean to his people. "Yeah, I screwed up, but Octavia was the only family I had left. I was able to sneak onto the drop ship and was able to head down and watch over my sister."

"Yeah- Sydney later attacked the station during one of our celebrations and killed a lot of people in the process so that she could steal one of the drop ships we were going to use to evacuate the station with." An older Skaikru spoke. "Many died- Ironically when Sydney and her forces seized the ship, they didn't know and we on the ground didn't know was that Mount Weather had set up a jamming system- a way to prevent people from approaching their home from above- Well- their ship came down, but it hit the barrier the Mountain men had constructed and the ship wasn't able to stop falling and it crashed full force into the ground, killing all on board."

Bellamy paused for a moment.

Not out of guilt, but to at least morn the dead- innocent or not- they were Kru.

"How did you find out it was them?" Kore spoke sensing that she may be treading on something bad.

"We found out when we confronted their leader prior to his death- The people on the decent pod didn't know- it was part of the defense network of Mount Weather when it went off."

"Those were the roughest days when we were being attacked. Animals, monsters, Acid Fog, people... Crap... The Trikru were angry for trespassing on their lands." There was a pause from Bellamy. "There was one who wasn't angry with us... his name was Lincoln... he was smitten with my sister. He had watched us from his cave for days since our arrival. The first time my sister saw him was when she was wondering in the forest and accidentally falling down a steep hill." Kore pulled back in shock. "Well... he picked her up and brought her back to the cave where he had been staying and treated her wounds. The others and I started looking for her and we found both of them. One our friends got killed by some rogue Trikru warrior and she died, while another one, Finn, he was stabbed by Lincoln."

"One of us was able to knock Lincoln out and bring him back to our camp. As we learned later... Lincoln used poison on his blades. Finn was getting sicker by the moment. We tried to force the cure out of him, but Octavia came up with a way to have him help us. In order to force Lincoln to cure Finn, Octavia picked up one of Lincoln's knives and cut herself with it." Those words drew back a deep breath of shock. "To say it worked was an understatement. While Finn was recovering with his brush with death, Octavia drugged the guard on duty with some of the medicinal plants Clarke had been using and helped Lincoln escape." Bellamy paused before he continued. "It took a while for us to understand him, but every few days Octavia would sneak out and meet with him. Mostly to patch things up between us and him. After a while when things got bad with the local members of the Trikru, especially with their leader Anya did he help us start to understand the situation we were in."

"So... he went from foe to friend... because of Octavia!" Kore spoke as she started to speak again. Bellamy took this as being a good sign in that he had gotten her attention as well as letting it know it was okay for her to speak up.

"Yes, he did. The fact my sister was smitten with the guy... well... being her older brother talking with the man she was in love with proved to be strenuous at times. Even after Arkfall, where our home broke up into the smaller vessels and parts it was made up from fell to the Earth... Well that proved to be a little hard to handle." Bellamy pointed out to the large Sky ship that they were by. "Garden Station came down here in the Ice Nation... Alpha Station came down near Trikru lands and the rest landed all over the place." Bellamy paused... not for effect, but to from what Kore was able to understand weariness from a battle that had taken place. "But that night of Arkfall was also the same night that Anya and her forces attacked... That was when we had to use the engines and fuel we had to defend ourselves by firing them."

"Like what had happened when you were inside of that ship." Kore pointed to the ship.

"Yeah... Well things got rougher afterwards as we were captured by a group of individuals within the nearby Mountain. Mount Weather. Otherwise known to the locals as..."

"The Mountkru..." To say Kore was speechless was an understatement.

"Some of us were locked in observation rooms like Clarke had been so that they could find out more about us. I was otherwise thrown into a cell to have my blood siphoned off." There was a long pause. "I was there as they were sorting through prisoners. Most of us were in bandages and rags that were covering our bodies. In the cell next to me was this young woman who had been there for weeks. She looked like she wouldn't survive another bout of whatever they were doing to the prisoners at the time. I started to pound on my caged to get their attention so they wouldn't take her. Well they took me and hit me with some spray that burned and smelled like stuff I don't even want to even describe before they moved to drain some of my blood away. They did all of this while I was suspended upside down like some slab of meat." Kore gulped hard.

"How did you escape?" Kore spoke concerned.

"I didn't at the time, but I needed to find my way around. Well being dragged about, I took note of where I was being taken. Even upside down I counted the distance I was moving before I was stabbed with a needle and my blood taken nearly to the point of losing consciousness. After the Mountain Men were done taking my blood I was placed back into my cage." Bellamy spoke as he told the story. "Ironically I got stuck next to a cage holding one of your fellow Ice Nation Warriors who I had saved from having her blood drained. To say that we didn't get along was an understatement... she spat on me when she found out what Kru I was. It took some time for me to explain what was happening between our people's and we came to an understanding that we were ironically on the same side. Then after some time we were able come up with a plan to escape."

Kore kept listening as the blacksmith finished sharpening the chisel edge and motioned for her to place shackle back on the anvil so he could remove it. Bellamy's escape from the mountain mirrored her own.

"Took some time to figure out the guard's patrol pattern but when we did. I was able to force the door of my cell open as my fellow captive held the guard in place so that we could kill him. Quickly changing into his clothes and dragging his body into the cell to take in my place, I let the fellow captives know that I was coming back for them."

"Then you escaped the Mountain!" Kore spoke sensing that the adventure was just beginning.

"No… I searched out for my friends. It took some time to find out where they were, but I did." There was a somberness in his voice. "The people in Mount Weather were trying to figure out who and what we were. They only had limited information about us. They knew that we had decent craft from watching the craft I was in come down and the second one that they made crash. They knew that we carried weapons such as firearms and were not afraid to use them to fight back. They knew that we were inventive in using available resources we had at our disposal. Also, they knew that when treated well, we tended to make alliances with people non-hostile to us." Bellamy paused. "But it was our biology, how our bodies were put together that they were interested in. They wanted to know how we were able to survive in such a toxic environment that they could not survive in without protective suits. When they learned the secrets within our blood... Well- they targeted the entire group of us to be drained dry." Kore sat in shock- Drained of blood like a chicken or a hen to make blood sauce for a meal. Kore swallowed to keep her heart within her chest as is attempted to crawl up his throat.

"What happened next?" Kore wanted to know what happened next.

"Well I found Clarke and the others. They were being treated well for the time being, but if they let it known that they were being tricked then they would be in danger." Bellamy paused, Kore sensed that something bad was coming. "Clarke being Clarke, being raised a healer couldn't stand by knowingly and let someone suffer. So, she went down to where the cages were and found one of our enemies- or former- Anya."

"Anya? Wait- that blonde Grounder queen bitch of Hell was captured by these mountain guys?" Riley called out by Boudicca who was treating his injures at this time.

"Yeah- she was- She and Clarke broke out- made their way through the mountain and were being chased as they escaped through the dam that we found. Well that was one of the entrances into the Mountain. Well Clarke and Anya escaped by jumping out of the spillway. What Anya didn't know was that the Mountain men had placed a Tracker under her skin. Clarke had noticed that they were not being tracked by scent or by footprints, but by this device that had been slipped under Anya's skin. Though most of this Anya had covered their tracks, drenched Clarke and her in mud and a few other things. But after a while Clarke was able to convince Anya to remove the tracker from her skin. Well Anya bit her flesh and pulled it out with her teeth." Kore winced at this image. "Well after getting in a few fights, Anya finally told Clarke that the supreme Commander of all of the Grounders used to be her second. Given the current situation, neither Anya' group nor Clarke's could take on the mountain alone. Clarke decided that heading to where Raven, one of our friends, she had launched a balloon that could be seen at a distance."

"Balloon?" That was a strange word.

"A Balloon, it is a sack that is filled with hot air that can rise up to a great height, well this one had a small flame at the base of it that provided the heat to keep it up. Well seeing this Clarke and Anya headed to our base that that would later become our village of Arkadia." Bellamy sighed. "Well seeing these two mud covered figures approaching, one of the guards fired a round off and hot Anya dead and Clarke got captured by our people thinking that she was a hostile local. It was only when her own mother recognized her that Clarke was set free." Bellamy sighed again, but this time there was some weight to his mood.

"Okay- Clarke was back with her people then what-" Kore spoke sensing that there was some darkness coming.

"Well- Clarke woke up and told her mom and the others of what had happened- about her friends and several other Grounders being trapped within the mountain by the people of Mount Weather. Clarke let it be known that the woman that they had shot, was an individual who was going to help set up a meeting with the Leader of the Grounders. Around this time our leader Kane had been captured right after a fellow member of The Hundred who thinking that Clarke was dead decided to massacre an entire village of Trikru farmers."

"Who was this idiot?" Riley called out. But Bellamy's answer put shock across his face.

"Finn…"

"Spacewalker… that poor kid out of grief and anger killed those innocent people who had scavenged your basecamp for supplies." One of the elder Skaikru warriors spoke as he stayed nearby the group.

"Finn? Wait… not the same Finn who wanted to have a peace treaty with the freaking Grounders… No offence." Riley spoke looking back toward Boudica who was treating his head wound during this entire story. She only shrugged back, more interested at patching him up as the apology was accepted unspoken and she kept on working. "Wait… you mean Finn lost it over Clarke that bad that he…"

"Killed an entire village full of innocent men, women, and children. The item that set him off was finding Clarke's jacket." The Skaikru elder spoke.

"Murphy, our resident scrounger was there, he did his best in an attempt to talk Finn down, but…" Given the way Bellamy was acting… it sounded bad. "Clarke and Octavia and a few others heard the gun shots and they came across the scene." Bellamy looked drained. "The Grounders were pissed… their leader… Lexa… well… she wanted answers from Kane and Jaha. The entire Blood must have Blood crap reared its ugly head until Kane realized the rules we needed to follow as they discussed the situation. Blood must have Blood, means sacrifice. To protect family. To give a damn about someone. To love- Kane had to make a blood sacrifice to appease Lexa and let her know that he was willing to talk and the attack on the village wasn't authorized. Trust me, Kane still has the scar on his arm where he cut himself with the knife that Lexa had left in the room for him and Jaha to use on each other. Well she sent Jaha back to camp and kept Kane for some further questioning and to learn about Clarke."

"When Kane got sent back to the camp, well we had Jaha and his followers wanting to find the city of light and wanting to find a peaceful place to live. Then you had the forces that sided with Clarke and the parents of her friends who wanted to get their kids back."

"Well Kane was able to help convince Lexa that the Arkers would have a trail and place down a conviction of guilt on Finn and the Grounders would have an execution."

"We had the trial-"

"Finn was found guilty and out of mercy Clarke had to stab him in the heart to spare him the torment of being slowly bleed to death via a thousand cuts."

"Then what happened?" Kore spoke feeling the final bit of the shackle give way.

"Well- we had our treaty. But it was tenuous at best. There were those in both camps that wanted it to fail. Some going as far to sabotage it. Raven got blamed for a poisoning event, but Clarke cleared her name by drinking the wine to prove that the poison was in the cup. Well that took out one foe. Then another attempted to assassinate the both of them. Well that caused Clarke and Lexa to have to outrun a giant beast that had been sent after them."

This is when Boudica chimed in.

"Clarke and Lexa took shelter in a place called a Zoo where animals from far off lands had been kept in a long time ago. Well they locked themselves inside of one of the old cages that had held beasts. Clarke had used Lexa's sword to jam the lock of the door and the beast couldn't get them. During this Clarke was able to treat Lexa's wounds. It took most of that night for them to come up with a plan, but in the end, they started to understand each other. I think that was the moment that Lexa started to sense that she had found someone that she had started to have feelings for." Boudica started to clear her throat. "Sorry- I have to deal with some of the more intimate bits of what Lexa thought of Clarke."

"What do you mean Intimate?" Riley and Kore said at the same time.

"Like as in Lexa loved Clarke and Clarke loved her too." Boudica bit her lip. "They deeply cared for each other." Boudica was doing her best not to go into details about something. "Clarke knows where Lexa's birthmark is on the back of her leg."

"Uh ha-" Riley spoke.

"Clarke's- warm creamy thighs on her cheeks. Her warmth in bed- the hot wax spilling on Lexa after the wound check incident while living in Polis." Boudica cleared her throat. "Lexa snuggling near Clarke." Boudica's voice was breaking as Riley's eyes were starting to go wide. Then with an almost child-like voice spoke: "Grounder Pounding close, as in Octavia and Lincoln alone in his cave close."

"Oh- Crap." Riley caught the reference she didn't. Boudica cleared her voice. Riley was speechless. Kore was lost at these references and code they were speaking. Maybe it was a Skaikru thing or an adult thing but the story went on. What she wouldn't give to know what the code meant.

"Yeah-" Boudica finally sighed. "That was later- but that time is what made them understand that to get the people they cared about out."

"Lexa liked girls- Clarke liked Guys and girls-" Bellamy explaining the relationship that Clarke and Lexa had for each other. But something spoke of how Bellamy was speaking that he wanted to get back talking about how the alliance between Trikur and Skaikru had taken place. "It took a lot of work for the two of them working together to build the alliance that they needed. When their forces finally came together, they were able to come up with a strategy plan to infiltrate the mountain and do you people back."

This is when Kore ask the biggest question that she had been waiting for. "What happened next Bellamy?"

The only response was with a soft sounding voice. "The war began."

Kore listened attentively as Bellamy recounted how his sister became Indra kon Trikru's second. How Clarke and her mother Abbi worked hard to free Octavia's love Lincoln from his transformation into a Reaper- The entire battle and taking the mountain through communicating with Bellamy and Jasper within spoke volumes to how they fought. Bellamy's part of the plan was to set the prisoners free and have them take up weapons at the time of the attack. At the same time Lexa and Clarke attacked with their forces from the outside attacking on two fronts, one was the main entrance of the mountain and the other was the dam where Clarke and Anya had escaped through.

The Mountain men split up in different directions, Bellamy and Jasper's group decided to head towards the vault where there was only one way into and thus they were able to tie up warriors there and dig in.

One of Bellamy's friends: Raven and someone called Wick took a small assault team to route the controls of the mountain to where they could reverse the air flow of the vents from blowing out to sucking in. What no one knew other than Clarke before this was that the Mountain men couldn't breathe the outside air without them dying. The poison from long ago was still in air and without the filters keeping their air clean from all of the junk in it, they would die.

Kore leaned closer as she pictured the battle taking forth in the story. Clanging of Swords, swings of Axes and clubs, shooting of arrows and bullets as they entered into the feared layer of the mountain men. Then as the story was falling into place a twist hit with Lexa betraying the Skaikru Chieftain Princess Clarke- It was only later that the truth was known for why Commander Lexa had left Clarke to finish the battle with her forces alone: The Mountain man warrior: Emerson had learned that he had several people that Lexa had cared about as his prisoners. She was given a choice- Have her people back or have victory-

Lexa chose to save her people over victory.

Clarke would become the warrior known as Wanheda.

Now the look on Riley's face was priceless as was her's. Though Riley did say one of the several words she was not allowed to say until she was older.

Clarke kom Skaikru… Boudica's mentor was Wanheda… The Commander of Death. These were her people. Skairippia was one of her warriors.

Her sister Echo would be so impressed.

Now between looking at Boudica who was sitting before Riley and picturing his friend Clarke- well he was doing his best to process. Maybe that was why the Slaver's started to fear that Skaikru would return. It wasn't their home that they might have taken back, but the vengeance Wanheda… Clarke would have unleashed upon them.

Kore had to quiet those thoughts as she started to feel safe under Bellamy's voice.

But as Bellamy continued to tell the story of the more recent events such as Wanheda's self-exile and her digging the graves of the innocent children she had to kill to end a war- well- that was the heartbreaking part of the story. Maybe that was the reason that after Lexa had sent warriors to find her and bring her to Polis- well that was the rough part of Lexa explaining why she had performed the actions as she had done earlier in the story.

In the end Lexa had gone out of her way to make up for her actions at the Mountain. Things like making Skaikru the Thirteenth nation. Helping Clarke forge political alliances. Taking down the Evil Queen Nia.

But these actions had brought about internal conflict with those like Titus- her Flamekeeper who saw these rapid changes as a threat to his own position. Throw in the information of the one known as Murphy learning about the truth about Pramheda Bekka and her connection to Skaikru. Titus decided to kill Clarke and blame it on Murphy, but the Skaikru weapon he used he wasn't used to and Lexa who had heard the shots had rushed into the room and gotten hit. Clarke attempted to save her, but when she ran out of treatment options in treating Lexa's wound and Lexa passed. Fearing the truth of what had happened, Titus locked Murphy and Clarke in Lexa's room until the Conclave could be held.

To say that the mess got worse, Titus didn't know that Ontari kon Azgeda won the Conclave by murdering all of Lexa's initiates. Murphy decided to help Clarke buy time by helping keep the new Commander in check. In truth- she was more like the Delinquents of the Hundred than she was of Azgeda. When Titus knew he was "Floated" territory, well the Flamekeeper died by Ontarii's blade. Murphy did his best to help guide the young Commander, but he hit problems when Jaha of Skaikru showed up with previous creation of Bekka's: Alie.

To say Alie was angry at the Nightbloods and what Bekka had rebuilt was an understatement. She had started to use people like Jaha who had knowledge of building systems that would allow her to leave her cage that Bekka had locked her in prior to Praimfaya. The reason Bekka had locked her in there was due to her wanting to reduce the number of people on earth through the most efficient means necessary. Well Alie was able to escape for only a moment, during that moment she was able to start the first Praimfaya by casting her will into the weapons of old and setting the world on fire.

In the years after that she waited patiently for someone to help her escape.

That person turned out to be Jaha of Skaikru.

Murphy had figured out that Alie found a way for her spirit form leave and did so by placing a part of her within a backpack that Jaha was bringing with him.

Upon learning this, Murphy was able to escape with a girl named Emori who he had fallen in love with and the two had fled until Murphy got caught trying to steal supplies from travelers outside of Polis. When Titus found out that Murphy had a chip that was similar the Commander's Flame that he wanted answers.

The idea that there was another flame out there would have brought civil war among the people.

The concept of having the knowledge of Commanders at your disposal would have made anyone come from near and far to achieve it.

In truth… that knowledge was a lie.

Alie had used those chips and false flames to seek out the knowledge she was looking for: The True Commander's Flame forged by Bekka.

Thus, the two paths of the story started to come together.

Murphy who was being set up to take the fall for Wanheda's death by Titus.

Clarke losing Lexa due to an errant shot.

Ontari becoming commander.

These factors forced Titus to give the Commander's flame to Clarke to place into Luna of Floukru.

Murphy using his position and knowledge to help buy time for Clarke to escape. But in doing do Titus decided to come clean to Ontari and had his life ended by her blade.

Murphy who was thrust into the position of being a Flamekeeper in title only found out that Ontari was no different than the rest of the Delinquents.

As Jaha came into Polis, Ontari who was hungry for knowledge felt that the Chip would provide her the knowledge to rule.

That was another lie…

Ontari became a puppet to the Red witch.

Boudica seemed sad and hurt when those words were spoken.

Then Boudica revealed she was Ontari… Boudica/Ontari had been the name of an honorable queen in a book that she had read in the City of Light.

That while there moving throughout the library there she had met a boy, Jasper who she felt comfortable with.

Jasper the boy who led the Hundred during the time in the mountain, who… in a place full of lies… the true flame of love touched both of their hearts.

No wonder Boudica/Ontari was looking back at the Sky Ship.

Jasper and Ontari were in love.

But Alie knew how to use and twist love to her advantage and she had used it to fight Wanheda to protect her prized hostage: Ontari.

Alie had dispatched agents who she had endowed with her false flame and demon spirits to follow Clarke and the others she had gathered around her.

People like Bellamy, Monty, Harper, the Skaikru sorceress Raven and her mentor Sinclair, the warriors: Nathan, Bryan, King Roan of Azgeda, and Jasper prior to him being taken over by Alie.

Clarke had attempted to get Luna of Floukru to help her. But the flat-out denial of the Floukru leader to accept the Commander's flame wasn't out of honor to become the next leader, it was the fact that Clarke and the other didn't know was that she was a Mother. When Alie attacked, the Red Witch had used this secret of Luna's to cement Luna's break with Clarke.

Ontari- had become the only option on the table. The young Commander spoke as she added her information.

During this time, Jasper had been captured for a short time and infected with one of Alie's demon Spirits and was being her eyes and ears spying upon his friends.

Out of a twist of fate, Alie had Jasper and Ontari meet.

Somehow the two of them, even under the Witch's thrall had fallen in love and because of that Alie had a general to lead her forces against Clarke and the others.

Jasper would fight to his dying breath for the woman he loved and Alie used that to devastating effect.

When a plan had been devised by Clarke to take Polis with their small forces, their objective was simple: one team would attack through Alie's spirit connection by breaking the spell of the chips. While Clarke and the others would lead an assault on the city through the secret tunnels under Polis that Roan had learned of and used several times during his exile to get in and out of the city.

Their plan was for Roan to bring Clark tied up to Ontari so that they could Place the Flame into her and defeat Alie. While at the same time their small force could hold the throne room as the ritual took place.

Things didn't go as according to plan.

Because of Jasper being possessed by Alie, she had learned on their plan, so any chance of sneaking in had been exposed.

So, they had to fight.

Those coming in had to hold off forces before they were overwhelmed. Roan had been wounded in the fight, but the armor that Bellamy and Clarke had him wear had saved his life. Realizing that their only way in was to take the lift, a room that could be pulled between floors of the great tower so that they could get to Ontari.

During that mess, Jasper had attacked his friends back at the Skaikru village of Arkadia in an attempt to prevent Raven from weaving her spells to slow Alie down.

It had been brutal and hard as they were forced to fight friends now turned foes under the Red Witch's thrall.

Then Ontari was struck in the head by one of the Skaikru elders, Jaha while Clarke was being tortured by her own mother Abbi.

Clarke was able to hold out until Bellamy and her friends were able to take the throne room. Jaha had to be knocked out and tied up. Clarke had used a device that Raven had created to free those who had been under Alie's spell, but it only could be used one person at a time. Clarke had used the only jolt left to free her mother to help treat Ontari.

The tension in the air was amazing.

Kore knew that Ontari survived for she was here, but how did they defeat the Witch?

The sound of Skaikru weapons being fired, Skairippia's blade swinging through the air. Fist hitting face. Club hitting bone. An army spewing its way through the Commander's Hall.

Kore wanted Bellamy and the others to hurry up.

Then she learned.

Remembering a section from Bekka's journal about how she had forged the original Nightbloods the members of the ancient Skaikru had been forged the same way. They shared a connection in their blood. Skaikru's blood could heal the sick, while the same factors had been given the Nightbloods along with the ability to hold the Commander's Flame.

Clarke needed the blood from a Nightblood to fight Alie and Ontari needed the healing blood of a Skaikru to battle the angel of death.

Alie did not see this coming.

Clarke and Abby used her mother's healer's kit to take two hoses from it and ran one from Ontari to Clark and the other the opposite way from Clarke to Ontari. Then with each heartbeat. Blood moved between Heda and Wanheda just as Clarke took the Alie's chip and placed in the Commander's Flame into her head.

Wanheda journeyed into the false City of Light and had to face down an army of her followers led by one of her own fellow warriors: Jasper of Skaikru- Ontari's lover.

But Wanheda wasn't alone as Heda Lexa came to battle by her side along with the former Commanders. But they had to get Wanheda to Bekka so that they could battle the Red Witch as it was Bekka's 'kanic knowledge that had forged Alie in the first place. Bekka could only provide the weapon as only a living person with Nightblood in their veins could strike down Alie.

Alie thought that by taking Ontari out of play where she couldn't use the flame would protect her.

No-

Bekka had planned for this.

One didn't need to be born a Nightblood, just have Nightblood in their veins to use the "kill switch". Which given its name and what she knew was a type of folding knife. When she saw Monty of Skaikru take a metal handle switchblade knife out of his pocket, she didn't pay much heed to it until he flipped it open to see a pair of pliers come out of the end of it that she realized why Bekka had chosen such a weapon to use.

It looked like a switchblade, but it was a tool.

Bekka knew that if she needed to hide a blade, make it look like one of her tools.

Clarke threw the blade at Alie while she was stating why she was doing the things she had done, including explaining why she had caused the First Praimfaya. Before Alie died she showed Clarke that she had started another Praimfaya as her endgame in case she was ever defeated.

Kore stopped cold.

"Yeah- we were able to put some of the reactor fires out from her attempts, but the fires she did start are going to leave one Hell of a mess in their wake." Bellamy spoke as she sighed. "The fires she started have poisonous smoke in them and once the smoke hits the clouds and comes down as rain. It is going to be bad. The radiation levels were high enough to decimate a complete village of One-hundred and twenty-five Floukru leaving thirteen survivors from A.R.S."

"A Are Ess?" Was a strange word. It must mean something that was bad as Riley was turning white.

"Wait- you mean-" Riley was trying to force out his words.

"Acute Radiation Syndrome." Ontari spoke the words. The way she looked was like she had seen battle- horrible dead bodies covering fields as far as the eye can see battle.

Kore's uncle had been through one of these battles and still jumped whenever he walked by a blacksmith shop while they were working.

"Wait reactors as in nuclear!" Riley declared in shock. Nuclear must have meant something very bad.

"Yeah-" Bellamy spoke as he looked back at the Skaikru ship that was now being checked out by the Skaikru that were there. "So far we are in a race to get everyone into what shelters we can find. Peace has become a more appetizing option."

"So- you were not here to save me?" Riley voiced disheartened.

"Actually, we only got word that the assholes that were in there had prevented those working on Garden Station from completing their work. In actuality we were on our way here to pick up some medicine that Jasper grew illegally and stashed in the walls of his room for Abby." Riley started to understand more of the events that had led his friends here and to Kore's own rescue. "It was only when we got here and Bryan recognized the group as being the assholes that chased off Pike and his bunch and killed Monty's dad that we started to put the pieces together. Your rescue was sort of a bonus."

"So- this medicine that this Abby needs- what is it to treat?" Kore wondered what

"The aftereffects of treating ARS. The antidote used to treat the poison is powerful, but given how they were affected the cure was worse than the poison. I am not going to lose anymore innocents on my watch. I have had my fill of death and once Jasper finds that hiding spot where he stashed that stuff-" This is when Jasper returned.

"Hey... It took me a while to find it considering that someone shoved a large crate up by the panel I hid my harvest behind." Jasper looked a bit haggard from what looked to be him working to get to his goal.

The rough smell coming off of the large pack that he had stank on a level that made a stink cat smell like rose but more feral. Whatever this healing herb was, if she ever had a tea made from that stuff she swore she would have to be on her deathbed. She did not envy those who had to be taking that herb to survive this ARS Poison. That was when she started to think about her sister again.

Maybe she was on her way here.

"Bellamy." Kore decided to learn more about this Skaikru warrior. "The Azgeda warrior that you were in the mountain with... what was her name?" Bellamy looked hurt- "Did she get out of the mountain?" The way Bellamy looked like he had lost this person. "Did she die?"

"No. She didn't die… though she did get out of the mountain and returned to her home." Bellamy looked like something had happened.

"Something bad happened to her didn't it?"

"She- she later returned and betrayed me. Through a series of events was part of the group of Azgeda that caused the deaths of forty-seven Skaikru who were originally from Garden Station." The way he was acting spoke that something bad happened to him or someone he loved.

"Did you lose someone?"

"Gina- the woman I loved." Bellamy looked hurt. The fact that the person he had loved had been from this Skai Village must have been the reason that he had come here.

"Did you come here to return her ashes to her home?" Kore sensed that there was something more happening. Kore hated this, everyone thought that her being a child meant that she needed to be protected.

"No…" Bellamy bit her lip. "Gina was buried alive along with those who were trapped inside of Mount Weather when members of Garden Station were in the process of setting up their village. They needed a place to take shelter and…" This Bellamy was crying. Kore moved to hug him. Hugs were a good thing, they let people know that they were not alone. Even a brave warrior occasionally after a battle would need a hug so that he could go onto the next battle stronger knowing that he wasn't alone in his fight.

This is when Ontari moved from where she was at with Jasper inspecting the herb they had come here to get and join her and Ballamy.

"Skaikru had to take in the old Mountkru layer to stay warm as they were in the process of setting up their village. Since it is so late in the season, they had to plant their crops first before they started to build their dwellings. Nia wanted a war with Trikru- Skaikru got caught in the middle. Because of this, the chief of this village named Pike who was in Polis working with Bellamy on a rescue mission with Bellamy and other warriors of the Skaikru and Trikru villages to protect Lexa and Clarke from being killed." Ontari sighed. Nia got her war, but it was after her death and Azgeda wasn't the one who waged it.

This is when Clovis and the Skaikru warrior Miller the Elder approached.

"Pike of Skaikru filled full of grief at the loss of his fellow villagers, he forced his way into becoming their chieftain by stating that their current chieftain was siding with the local krus and not with the needs of their people. Using every little tattoo or mark that some of Skaikru had gotten out of acts of honor by fighting against the Mountkru got them labeled as traitors to their people." Clovis spoke.

"Clovis is right- the Azgeda that Pike and those who had lived in Garden station had gone up against in trying to make a home for themselves just broke them. What took place with the bombing just finally caused Pike to seek out his dark urges and unleash them." Miller the Elder spoke.

"Pike took those who had lost people in the bombing and- we-" Miller moved and patted Bellamy on the shoulder.

"It's alright son- you were used as a tool to kill those members of the Blockade Lexa had sent to protect us from reprisals from Azgeda."

"We killed three hundred warriors in their fucking sleep Miller! Those people had Husbands, Wives, Sons and Daughters- Shit- Niyliah's father; Clarke's friend was one of them." Bellamy punched the ground. "Octavia lost Lincoln because of my actions. The Man she loved. I didn't pull the trigger, but I was part of his group." This is when the one known as Monty rose from his location by the warrior Harper to come over.

"My mother was part of that mess- don't you think that I don't feel guilty about those deaths too." Monty communicated to his friend. "You said it to your sister. I'm Hundred, she is Hundred, and you are Hundred- that will never change no matter what kru they decide to join or station they are from."

"If it wasn't for Echo-" Bellamy called out.

"You wouldn't have been able to escape or save her life."

"Wait her name was Echo- as in Echo kon Azgeda." Kore was doing her best to process this.

Her sister was a murderer of innocents...

She needed to know if it was truly her sister.

"Bellamy... Ontari... my... Heda." Kore rose to her feet and started to pull off her dress. Ontari was about to stop her but Kore stopped pulling her clothes off until her family tattoo on her right arm could be seen. The Crescent curved arch that went from the edge of the side of her upper right bicep over the top of her shoulder and down back. "Was it this mark?" Bellamy reaching out to touch it and sighed spoke all.

Kore sobbed as Ontari moved to comfort her.

"Right of the Kill doesn't mean to bring death to the guilty... it means to bring justice to." Monty stated. "Murphy knows of this, he was accused of a crime- The death of Jaha's son Wells. The true killer was found. Murphy was guilty of other things. In the death he was innocent- This girl's sister- same circumstances such as Bellamy here. Deaths took place to find the truth- Speak to her, find out what she knows. When we return to Arkadia, with your knowledge, Kore's knowledge and Echo's knowledge. The truth will be found."

"Blood must have blood has its limits." Ontari spoke as she realized that a new age was coming. "Truth will slay or set one free. I am starting to understand what Clarke, Bekka and Francesca were trying to teach me.' This is when Ontari started to wipe away the tears from Kore's face. "Kore of Azgeda, I wish to know about the events that took place from when you were captured till we rescued you. Hopefully any fact you can remember can help understand why Nia was working with the Slavers?" Kore realized that her part of things wasn't so much for her sister to save her, but for her to save her sister.

"My Commander I will try..." Kore took a deep breath and did her best to be strong. "I will try to remember everything I can to aid you to save my sister." Bellamy sighed and saw that spark of strength that made him fight to save that Azgeda warrior in the cell next to him.


Luna listened to the woman talk. Occasionally Luna would sense when she was being lied to, but right now she wasn't. There was something more going on. Echo was doing her best to leverage her way out of this mess that she found herself in. Though when the topic came up about Bellamy there was a clear sense of remorse about what she had done. Almost an acceptance of what she had done to earn her a punishment that was so horrible that being buried alive only touched on the horrors some would wish to bring upon her here in Arcadia.

A Death by thousand cuts seemed to always be on her mind as being the most pleasant way to go. But this shock lashing was a new concept to her. The only person Luna knew of that had this weapon used on them was Senua, even then it had been one blow. What would ten blows do to someone?

Luna needed to talk with Clarke about that.

As the rain pattered outside the window, Luna adjusted her body some as she started to spin the spear rifle she had been given between her arms to kill the boredom. Luna had picked the weapon mostly out of fact that according to Harper before she had left, the weapon had been nonfunctional. Secondly when the weapons had been used, it had been used as a spear after its single round had been discharged through its barrel. Echo had realized that Luna had grown bored with the situation and with the partial truths and lies that had been told to her.

That was when Murphy and Clarke came in to help take over guard duty.

"Luna..." Murphy spoke looking at her. The sense that he was in a position where being a father was helping lay out his decisions about the future. Echo's trial and punishment was going to be part of that child's future and he wanted to make sure that for good or ill, the right decision was made. "Adria is asking about you." Luna looked up at Murphy. For a man who felt normal in self-loathing, maybe it was a defense mechanism to protect himself against harm. But this becoming a father had forced a new type of protectiveness upon him. Like he had to hate himself for a different set of reasons, those reasons being in letting someone he cared about down. That wasn't a place to be in from Luna's recent experience with her nearly losing her Kru. Conversely her becoming his Flamekeeper apprentice, she had to become his teacher as well in helping him become a better parent as she learned of the secrets of the Nightblood's true strength that Bekka had created them for.

"Alright... I have done my best to help figure out Echo here. So far, she knows she is guilty of the things she has done, but she is still holding something back. I don't know what Nia had on her to force her into the mission, but whatever it is... she is willing to die for it." Luna stated.

"We will see what we can do to figure it out." Clarke acknowledged. Luna had come to respect the young Skaikru leader over the days she had been here. Clarke's compassion and caring for others wasn't for show, it was the core of her being. Echo... though a one-time foe didn't deserve to be lynched by angry members of Skairku.

"Clarke..." Luna spoke sensing that this conversation would be better carried out from earshot from Echo. Standing up Luna motioned for Clarke to follow her to be outside of Echo's earshot. "This shock lashing... I have heard rumors about it being used on your own people whenever a crime was committed." Luna paused for a moment to place her words in an order that wouldn't sound childish. "That it was used on someone other than Senua." Clarke sighed at this.

"It was used on my mother… Abbi." The pained look on Clarke's face spoke volumes. "There was a set of laws that my people had when they first came to the ground… they were called the Exodus Charter. A set of laws to keep people in line. Let's just say when Kane came to power among my people, they were repealed. Then when Pike came to power he put them back into place." Clarke was growing somber. "Under those laws any act of treason was dealt with execution. Octavia's love Lincoln went against Pike along with Kane and Sinclair and they were marked for death." Clarke sighed. "Lincoln needed to buy time to save Octavia, Kane, Sinclair and a few others that needed to flee Arkadia. Lincoln turned and surrendered to Pike and those loyal to him. A short while later with everyone outside and Octavia at a good distance from the camp. Pike executed Lincoln. Octavia saw Lincoln be shot in the head. It crushed her." Luna started to feel sick. Part of this she knew, but to see someone die before you… Luna cried.

"This Charter… what was it used for when it to being lashed?" Luna wanted to know. She had to know.

"Kane used this part of the charter to restore order over Arkadia right after the stations came down. My mother had violated several of our weapons laws and in order to keep the peace Kane ordered her to be shock lashed ten times. Once the camp was put back in line... Kane decided that my mother was right and appointed her chancellor after he had pardoned her for her actions and dissolved the Charter."

"So, Echo's punishment is going to follow the rules of this charter?" Luna braced herself.

"Yes and no." Clarke paused for a moment before she continued. "Luna... there are many of the families that lost loved ones in the Azgeda bombing that they want to restore the charter... this is something that me and the rest of the hundred and a few others are willing to go to great lengths to prevents. No... We need to establish a new tradition of punishment, something that will fit with the traditions here on the ground. I am not going to have another Pike emerge and repeat the mistakes that lead us to be in this situation were infractions are punished with death or worse." Clarke was driven to change her people's ways so that they were peaceful or at least willing to be not as aggressive as they had been in the past.

"You want to use Echo as an example of something along the lines of Blood must not have blood!" Luna was sensing the direction where Clarke was going.

"Yes..." Clarke was pointing to a path of where she was planning on going. "Not only that, but I want to show that we have a code of honor. I want to use what we learned with Right of the Kill..." This is when Murphy interrupted.

"Otherwise known as Murphy's Law." Murphy cleared his throat. "Trust me. I don't want a repeat of the mistakes of the past too. No, Echo needs to be punished, but we want something that can been seen by you all as being a worthy punishment. I don't want a repeat of being seen as guilty for doing something you didn't do. Everyone is guilty of something, but being blamed for something you were not directly part of or being part of a group, you were close to that caused a mess shouldn't mean that you have to be punished for their crap as well. I have been there and done that, thank you very much. I can accept a banishment, even a lashing for the crap, but an execution cannot be undone."

"So, by shock lashing her is your way of sending a message to not just your people, but to the other members of the Kru that you are willing to obey our ways. But you are also lenient in knowing that there needs to be peace with your former foes at some point." Luna realized that whatever Echo was willing to die for must be something so honor bound her that if it was learned it would be worse than death. This is when Luna responded. "Clarke... whatever Echo is willing to die for must have to do with Bellamy and their history." This brought a look of worry across Clarke's face.

"Ah... Crap and it will be a while till he returns and we don't know their full history together... if we aren't able to get that information from her soon and if people learn that she is in here, then we are looking at a bloodbath." Luna's own sense of non-violence took on new meaning. Luna needed to apply her gifts that she had learned about fighting and about the pain it brought to help guide these people into their role in this larger world.

"Maybe you will have a better chance with her than I have. You know Bellamy better, maybe you can use that to help you out." Luna confided.

"Might work. If I can figure out what they had in common." Clarke was doing her best to work with what she had been given.

"Well... Talk about Bellamy. It has to do with the Mountain. Ask. Maybe it will give you the break you need to find out what she is willing to die for." Luna's words bore weight for Clarke.

In that moment Luna understood why Lexa had loved her so. Clarke was a warrior that knew when to fight with a spear and when to fight with compassion. Clarke knew pain and suffering, but also knew that by showing compassion it could at times be lifted and healed.

"I will do that... Now Luna, go be with your daughter. I will take it from here." With that Luna picked up her rifle spear and headed out of the Skaikru dungeon and back to her child. In the back of her mind thinking about speaking to Abby for more details about Skaikru's views on punishment and justice.


Senua sat down on one of the stairs in Arkadia. She was doing her best to find her quiet place where she could find her humanity.

Several individuals who had felt the wrath of Red Witch Alie had started to seek her out. Not to fight her, but to talk.

Senua had been turned into a monster and forced back into being a human. Now that monster woman looked to be less than a beast and more of a woman. Maybe that was why several warriors had sought her out with help with their own monsters being unleashed. Knowing that she wasn't alone in her darkness helped. But there were times where she needed to be alone.

If the Skaikru's goddess the Earth Mother had wanted her to come here, then maybe what had happened to her could help other's cope with their own monsters being unleashed.

Sitting on these stairs she closed her eyes and breathed. Being this near the top of the station where few traveled unless they needed to was a welcome reprieve from the noise from the outside. The curved arch of these buildings spoke to it being constructed in the sky. One of the rooms looked have been upside down which was maddening though from what she understood, there was really no up nor down while being high up in the heavens.

She imagined the Skaikru at times hanging from the ceiling like bats in a cave.

Senua grinned at this.

Then one of the coywolves came up to her and sat near her. The scent spoke volumes as the creatures we fur could be smelt from a good distance away.

Opening her eyes, she saw it to be Bullworth.

The animal attempted to cross his front paws to look like her.

The Nightblood children and these animals seemed to have taken a liking to her. Senua thought it was out of the fact Ontari had helped patched her up with the children... the coywolves... well, there was peace about them that Senua found comforting.

Exhaling hard with a sigh... Senua watched as the animal took that cue to approach her and place his head on her leg.

The unspoken language that the animal communicated spoke volumes.

Can I stay here for a little while?

Senua understood.

"You want to be outside of the noise?" Senua spoke as the animal nodded. Skaikru was hammering plates into place to protect this once flying village ship from the poison smoke of Alie's Second Praimfaya. Only a few places around this village provided a reproved from the noose of hammers hitting steel. This was when a noise was made behind her. Senua turned to see one of the other Nightbloods approaching.

"Bullworth? You up here?" It was Luna's daughter Adria. The girl's bony body spoke of the weight she had lost due to the sickness. But it hadn't affected her mind. That was thriving. Given the amount of time she was spending with the Skaikru 'Kanic Raven some of the locals thought that the girl was becoming her apprentice.

Senua's knew different.

Raven and Adria had bonded because they missed their homes.

Raven's in the sky.

Adria's in the water.

Ever since Senua's chains had been removed; word passed that her monster had been purged. Well children started to seek her out to get some idea of what happened to their family members. From what Senua had heard Adria was no different.

Senua sensed that Adria was looking for her opportunity to speak to her. Seeing Bullworth near her, Senua decided to respond.

"He is by me." Senua spoke sensing that this was a chance for her to speak to the young Nightblood. Adria creaked over the edge of the stairs. Over the last few weeks since her murder run on Wanheda, Senua's life had changed so much. Harper was right... she needed to accept that she wasn't the only monster that had been unleashed upon the world. A few people when they had learned that she had regained her soul had come to speak to her.

Maybe hearing her own nightmares and theirs under the thrall of this Red Witch had brought her comfort. A few had come to her for some answers to what to do next. All she could said was they had to endure the challenges ahead. It was a journey and knowing that they were not alone was what gave others strength.

The small things counted.

Bullworth slowly started to snuggle next to her.

"Senua..." Adria spoke as she approached. "... What was it like when you were a monster?" Senua sighed. "My Father was taken over by the Red Witch." Senua's heart broke some.

"YOU don't feel anything. In my case when the Mountain men enslaved me... they gave me this red potion to make me obedient. The rest of the time, you are in this fog, waiting to hear anywhere to kill the boredom. That and the hunger. So hungry you eat, anything... the Mountain men took pleasure in using us as a means to clean up the mess of their drained leftovers. I had to eat the dead. That was the only food they gave us." Senua cried. "I will never each the flesh of anything ever again because of that."

"I didn't know... would you eat fish?" Adria pulled back some.

"Don't know..." Senua spoke. This is when Adria presented her an Apple. "Depends on how it is cooked."

"Here is an Apple." Adria offered. Senua grinned.

"Thank you..." Senua touched the Apple. It was an heirloom type. The type she loved eating baked as a child. Adria sensed that this small gesture meant the world to her.

"This place feels like my home." Adria sat on the floor of the stairway. "I mean I miss the night rain and the crash of the waves, but... metal on my feet feels nice." Senua grinned.

"I miss the smell of wood. But the people here don't see me as a monster."

"Maybe because, they see you... they know what happened to you. Everyone else sees magic... they just see someone that was on some potion."

"All too true. Harper said that I was lucky when she hit me with the shock rod. I was a day from dying."

"Oh..." Adria approached near her. Adria bit her lip before she spoke again. "I hear that Ontari is going to punish Echo Kom Azgeda by hitting her with a shock rod. That Echo will have it struck upon her flesh several times."

"I have heard." Senua looked at the healing wound on her hand.

"What was it like?" Adria expressed worried.

"Why would you want to know?"

"Because... because my mother..." Adria took a deep breath and braced herself for a battle of words with Senua. "Because, my mother has been speaking with those who are protecting Ontari's Right to Kill, Echo." Senua nodded.

"So, the time has arrived for the Commander to decide on punishment of those wronged during war." Senua's shoulders fell as the weight of her own actions started to come back to her. Then she spoke. "It Hurt... Like your heart was being stabbed, being smothered, choking, your muscles screaming like you have been worked to beyond exhaustion. Being beaten in places that you didn't know could be hurt. But knowing that you are bowels and urine is rushing out of you during all of this as it is taking place between every beat of your heart." Adria swallowed. "Passing out is the only peace you will have before you take your next breath. But it doesn't come. No. Your next breath feels like your lungs have been set on fire as your chest pulls to usher air into them. That is just the first shock. The others… the others make that look like a blissful bath as a result."

"Oh..." Adria did her best not to quake in fear where she was. Adria did her best, but it showed.

"Then feeling it end… that is where you sense the true nightmare that begins as you know that you are alive. You feel like you have been punched and every last hair on your flesh and the nails on your hands and feet scream." This is when Senua looked down the hall. "You are faced with your actions. It is only the mercy of those healing you that brings peace." This is when Senua looked at Adria. "So… young Nightblood. I hear that Bekka has blessed you with her heritage? Could you tell me about that?" Senua reached out to wipe at a line of blood that had started come from the edge of Adria's nose.

"Well... I know that having Black blood grants you power to fight this sickness." Adria moved to cross her legs by this set of stairs. A member of the Hundred walked by with one of their bracelts on as they headed on up. "Hi Collette." Adria called out. The brown-haired girl with the purple berry stripes in it looked down and grinned.

"Hi, Adria, Senua..." This is when the girl reached up to her earpiece. "No Clarke... I am heading up to the top of the arch to get a clear view. I will contact you when I get to the hatch. Collette out." With that the Skaikru warrior sprinted up the stairs. Senua realized that the Warriors of the Hundred seemed like the grand warriors of old. With their powers and might was the stuff that children dreamed to be.

"That is strange." Senua spoke as she watched Collette move up the stairs. "Skaikru doesn't really head up this far into the arch unless they need to do something." This caught Adria's attention.

"Like what?" Adria stated.

"Well. Most of the rooms up there are upside down. Most of what has been worked on has to place them right-side up, are only a few."

"Well she did say she was heading to hatch. Which means if this was a flying ship at one time then, it was to head somewhere or connect to something."

"Well, let us leave her be." Senua spoke as she looked down to see how the crowd below moved. "So... how are you adapting to being a Nightblood?" Senua spoke as she leaned back some. Like all children, the sound of adventure started to seek Adria out. Like a piper leading rats from villages.

"Good..." Adria was starting to follow the tune she had started to sway to. "Clarke is a healer... and why would she be having Collette heading up to the top of the ship?" Adria started to move as she stood up and started to walk towards the stairs.

"Adria... we should let her be." Senua spoke as she looked at Adria.

"The arch used to be the mast of this flying sky ship... so... it would be a place if you were on the sea to look at something come from far away." Adria spoke leaning back of her seafarer heritage.

Adria was being pulled to discover what was taking place.

"Adria..." Senua tried her best to sound formal and solid in stating that she shouldn't proceed to interrupt Collette.

Adria had other ideas as she sprinted by the former Reaper.

Before Senua got the chance to sware at the young Nightblood, the girl was almost out of sight.

"Horseshit..." Senua spoke under her breath as she and Bullworth sprinted up the stairs.

Senua felt her legs move as she had become accustomed to her permanent changes to her body.

Redoubled bone and muscle and things she didn't quite understand made her stronger and faster. Skaikru had worked to get her off of that cursed potion and fixed her body to the point where it wouldn't be falling apart on her.

Getting to the top of the structure after sprinting up various sets of stairs and paths to get to the top of the arch that Adria finally slowed down.

Seeing Collette standing by the hatch, Adria watched as she moved to open it and using a long hook she pushed it out of the hatch. Something was being brought in.

It looked to have been anchored up here at the top of this Sky Ship.

"Okay... got the ranged antenna that Raven worked up for us to speak with Polis. Looks like the solar panels has a glitch in it." This was when she looked at the panels. "Correction, we have bird crap."

"Um we had the same problems back on the rig when we had sea birds taking up nesting on our light tower."

"WHAT!" Colette called out when she realized that she wasn't alone.

The volume of her voice was enough that Clarke must have been startled by Colette's voice on the other side of the radio. As the Commander of Death could be heard calling back through the earpiece wondering what in the dark underworld was going on.

"Adria, wait she is there's with you!" The muffled sound of Clarke's voice echoed in the large empty space.

"Sorry." Adria spoke as she slowly approached Collette. "I know it is not my place to intrude on things that are outside my knowledge. But your problem is similar to one that I had back on my home." Adria composed herself the best she could. "Back on the Rig..." Adria swallowed hard. "Back on my home..." Adria was working through the memories of losing friends and loved ones back in her old before she fought her way through it to continue. "We always had birds taking up and making nests on our tower. It wouldn't have been so bad, but their poo when it mixed with the flame gases, made things go boom."

This had Colette's attention.

"How did you fix the problem?"

"We rigged a group of fans to a wheel that spun around on its axel and placed pieces of old flippers around the edges of it when the wheel spun the fin pierces would slap against the tower making noise to scare off the birds."

"What made this thing work?" Colette spoke as she looked at the bird poo encrusted panel.

"The wind." Adria said. "It is a windmill. Like the one you use to pump water. Raven has been teaching me to be a Kanic. My father used to work on the engines to our fishing boats before Alie took him away to the next world." Adria saying Father in the language of the trees only drove home the point that she wanted to help.

"Can you draw it?" Colette looked not happy at the task before her. If there was a way to avoid touching the bird shit she was open to it. Sort of like using some types of tree sap on one's skin and clothes to keep insects away.

"Yes, I can." Adria spoke as she looked for something to draw with.

What emerged in the following minutes by this girl's hand showed that she was a descendant of Bekka.


"Do you know what it is like to pull you out and shove something back in. Do you know what it like it feels like to be unmade? It is a level of Hell that I wouldn't wish on anyone. I have been in that Hell. My fealty and loyalty are to my people. The people of all Kru. I welcomed this evil to these lands, I am going do my best to make it leave." Ontari spoke to the group as they traveled.

"You're not as evil as people think you are," Kore spoke to the young Commander in training.

"No. I'm much worse," Ontari spoke.

Ontari clutched the satchel that Jasper had gotten for her. The smelly herb really stank, but knowing that it could help save many lives... Well... she could live with what it could do.

Looking over at Bellamy and Kore as the transport headed back to Arkaida with the freed slaves for medical treatment spoke to her new role in society.

The battle she fought wasn't a victory... These people didn't see her as a Commander, they saw her as something else... Something far better than being seen as a Queen or their ruler.

They saw Ontari as Ontari...

A woman who was fighting for all of the Kongeda.

Yes, she had powers and gifts that he heritage granted her. By the name of her ancestors, she was doing her best to learn how to use them to their fullest potential.

Being a Nightblood was only a bloodline. No... To lead, she had to show a strength of character that would have people follower her because they wanted to, not because they had to. The integrity to be known for something more than the violence she had used to come to power.

How did Clarke deal with this? How did Lexa- The weight of leadership?

But this... Dru of Azgeda... he said it best: "Ontari, daughter of London and Hamilton of Azgeda. Descendent of Rebecca of Polaris chose to save these people, not because they were friends or enemies, she chose to save them because it was the right thing to do."

The information about her parents' names had been learned from the records that the slavers had kept in their layer of the stock that they had for sale.

Jasper had found those records while cleaning out the pile of junk that had been piled in his old room. He had given them to her to help trace the locations of returning those they had rescued. Heading back to Arkadia, Ontari felt on the papers shift within the satchel of weed that Jasper had salvaged and started to think about the life that she might have had if Nia hadn't stolen her away from her parents.

Giving her current age Ontari would have probably gotten married at this time in her life. With a child on the way, maybe one in the crib. Maybe both.

Ontari remembered that moment after Skaikru had found one of the slavers that had managed to dive into a maintenance patch when the explosion had taken place. Given the events of what had happened in the old space station's hydroponics room when Monty had freed the slaves by breaking the main lock of their chains – well, those slaves took out their vengeance upon their former master. The one that had almost got away, well to quote Jasper: "sheesh, Ontar, I know you had to float the guy in front of everyone just so you could have your little personal revenging bloodbath on the bastards that stole you from your parents. That Understand. The language you used in front of the children here- not the type of thing that inspires- 'Tari. Do you want to kiss children with that mouth? That is the thing that comes to mind."

Driving a pickax into that one slaver's skull repeatedly did make her feel a whole lot better afterwards.

It was only when she had started crying that everyone had realized that this was her right of the Kill.

Ontari was... she just wanted to let all of that pain go. Her mouth just went along for the ride.

Half the things she had said... not the stuff that children should hear- the rest... well was suited for nightmares of the damned.

Ontari had started to speak of her time in the box... What had happened to her, what Nia did to her- Maybe running into the City of Light was her way of finding peace from that unspeakable pain.

Now... this peace was real for her.

Jasper completing the pattern- even temporarily on the left side of her face with marker made her feel whole.

She had fought her own personal battle with her ghosts- now one was vanquished.

Maybe burning Nia's body over the Garden Station settlement would be her way of sending that bitch to Hell.

Kore moved closer to Bellamy as the storm clouds started to form around them from the North.

A North Wind Winter was coming.

As long as the weather from the North kept like this, there was hope that the Radiation poisoning would be lessened on the western Azgeda lands. It would be rough because the storms coming from the oceans would be lasting much longer along the Eastern lands near the Great Desert.

Nuclear Autumn Clarke had called it.

This much radiation and smoke was going to be affecting the way that the planet would be warming itself.

In this case, it would cause a longer winter.

A great winter that none alive had seen since the time of the Praimfaya.

Bekka leaned against her. Even in her spirit form, Ontari's ancestor seemed to be more attentive to her now.

"Heard what you did to the Slavers." Bekka spoke as she looked at the group.

"I did what I did Bekka." Ontari pulled the pouch closer.

Several of the former prisoners started to look at her.

"I understand." Bekka seemed to understand the weight of the situation that Ontari had gone through. "Not the only group of slavers that you will have to deal with. Trust me... Slavery is a sickness that curses every civilization that thinks it is higher than the All Mighty."

"All Mighty?" Ontari spoke as Bekka explained.

"The creator of all, the one that made the darkness into the light." Bekka spoke. "The one that started off the Big Bang, that brought all of existence into being."

"Oh... that ancient god that the 'kanic's worshipped." Ontari nodded. "kinda of figures... the one that forged the world into being would be your mark of a leader." Bekka grinned. "What does that have to do with fighting slavers?"

"Ontari. You are trying your best to overcome the challenges before you, but it is a battle that is not won in a single victory. It will be a campaign. There will be advances as well as setbacks. You will have to understand that the only way that you will overcome this is to break your challenges into smaller battles where you can work through each one. With each challenge that is overcome will you finally have a victory. You don't have to think of yourself as being more powerful than a god. Just overcoming the challenges before you, even if they are small ones will be enough to ensure that even a god will respect you. Showing compassion, and kindness is not a sign of weakness. It shows that you are willing to share that strength so that when it is time you can have that strength back to fight the challenges before you."

"So, this battle that I help fight. These people that I helped free..."

"You have our fealty." One of the former slaves spoke.

"You will have to look into their eyes and say to them: Will you die for me?; and if they say: yes by their own free will-" Ontari spoke softly remembering a lesson that Clarke and Lexa had tried to drill into her head for weeks now. It now started to make sense.

"What was that?" One of the women spoke up that Ontari had liberated.

"A lesson that Clarke and Lexa had drilled into my head. It now makes sense. Bekka just pointed out what it fully means."

Ontari moved from her seat and knelt down before the group.

"I pledge my fealty to you all. When the time comes and I ask for help. Please come and aid me." Ontari bowed before them holding the parcel in front of her.

"We will our Heda." Ontari rose her hand.

"I am not your Heda in this. I am like you, an equal. All I wish is to protect the people I care about. No matter what land they are from. I wish to protect them from harm as I would do to protect those you love from harm. You have my blood, my flesh, and my soul."

"As you have the same from us." The group responded back.

Ontari felt a hand on her and turned to see Harper looking at her.

"Let us go on to the next battle. Saving a sister."

Ontari's eyes teared.

She wasn't alone.


Luna dreamt of the ocean. The wetsuit she was wearing was far different than the one her people used. The design seemed to be more colorful and striped like they were not meant for warriors, but to signal that one was there given how they were patterned. Adria's had large pink swaths to its mostly blue body. Raven who was floating next to Adria, her wetsuit was mostly black other than a few white strips on the legs and arms, but with a white chest piece that had the Skiakru symbol on it. After a moment of seeing Raven float in the water the pattern started to make sense as she looked like a bird in flight. Looking back at Adria's wetsuit, Adria looked to be a striped sea snake. The patterns seemed to reflect protection or symbols of their wearers.

Luna looked at hers and saw that it looked to be Black and Red... Though there was something about it that didn't make sense until she got to the water and saw that it showed a war armor appearance to it. It scared her a little, but the more she looked at it, it looked like the ancient armor of a set of honorable warrior poets she had learned about in the past... the Amazons.

Luna was tired of fighting, but why was she wearing the armor of a sect of warriors?

Then the name she had been called off and on since her arrival in Arkadia started to make sense: Amphitrite, The war nymph.

If Clarke was the Commander of Death, then maybe this wetsuit must have been someone's gift to her to represent who she was. The Nightblood (Warrior) from the sea (Nymph) Sea Maiden.

That was when the water moved and not by her moving in it or by the waves caused by the wind. The water seemed to be alive.

After all of the death that had taken place the ocean seemed to have changed. Raven was floating in the water next to an older Adria as they chatted about feeling at home. Adria in the water and Raven floating like she was a bird in the sky.

"Raven... I love days with you and my Mommun here. It is different than the Rig but for you it is different than your ship home."

"It is..." Raven had her hair freely moving around her. "I like being around your Mom too..."

"Well she did help you with your pain..." Adria commented.

"And I learned that she liked girls as well as guys..." Raven spoke as she sensed something was up. "Luna... come... float with us." Raven turned to lift up her head.

"Yes, Mommun... come... the water is great." Adria moved to splash some water near her mother.

Adria was a healthy young woman...

And Raven... Luna's heart skipped a beat.

Luna was in love... her beauty, her kindness...

Raven accepted her for who she was... Luna felt a staff in her hands as she approached the water.

The Flamekeeper's Staff.

"Luna... for once just be yourself and come in." Raven moved and stood up in the water.

The Staff was important, but this was more important.

Then Raven left the water and kissed her before heading back into the water and undoing the zipper on her back to reveal the naked flesh underneath.

"We are family." Raven spoke attempting to seduce her into the water.

Then off in the distance Nameless was standing on the surface of the water.

She was grinning before she knelt down and motioned for something to come up.

A strange creature raised its head from the water a good distance from the two. It sang at them. The sound went through her as she realized that it was telling her something important.

Adria and Raven quickly swam to the shore to be by her side as the sounds felt familiar as Raven rushed for a tablet to record a image of it upon the device. The way the creature was singing as like they were being sent by a Nameless figure from another realm.

Then Luna woke up.

The image was fresh in her mind. Had the ocean told her that it was going to survive? Or something else?

Adria had gotten up and was watching over her as the sound of something pattering the glass of the window from outside.

"Adria..." Luna winced as she saw her daughter with her legs crossed.

"Mommun... Don't worry, I got up to listen to the rain." Adria spoke as Luna started to listen and the sound of rain was coming down at a good rate. Luna was concerned, but Adria raised a hand. "These clouds are from the North. I saw the storm brewing earlier today while I was working with Colette on a project."

"Ice Nation clouds?" Luna spoke as her daughter relaxed sensing that her mother was concerned.

"Ontari is going to return soon." Luna watched as her daughter pulled off the sleep gown she was wearing as she needed to scratch her skin some. Adria's bones were showing through her skin. "Mommun... want to sing that song we did when we were back home on the Rig?" Luna sensed that the weight of the last few days had been seen clearly by her daughter. But why was she undressing?

"Okay." Luna sat up and started to sing. But Adria stopped her.

"No... like we did in the rain." Adria stopped her as her daughter started to fold up the gown and she turned to her mother. There was a happiness about her now.

"You want me to undress?" Adria nodded. "Why?"

"Because I want you to wash my hair and also could you tell me about my body?" Adria was cupping at a bit of her underdeveloped breasts. Adria's loss of body fat had highlighted the girl's fears of looking like an old hag. That and Adria presented a vaginal sponge that was black with her blood.

Adria wanted the talk about her becoming a woman.

Puberty had arrived, or at least the questions about it.

"Oh... you want to have that talk..." Luna grinned. "Well... let's see... you are developing into womanhood. So... have you taken an interest in any boys or girls of late?" Adria turned to look at her.

"Mommun..." Adria whined. Yes, Adria was hitting that age where boys were going from yuck to cute.

"Just trying to figure out if this is about me telling you about where man parts go into a woman or how to pleasure a woman with what you have?"

"Oh..." Adria reached out for her clothes as she realized how complicated of a set of questions she was going to be asking.

"Dont' worry... I will wash your hair and I will let you ask the questions." Luna spoke sensing that in light of recent events that maybe some mother/daughter time would be good for the both of them. Luna moved to undress so that she wouldn't get her own sleep clothes wet.

Also, it would give her a way to judge Adria's reaction to Luna's own interest to Raven.

If the dream if anything just forced the topic to the forefront that Luna had become interested in the Skaikru Kanic and maybe with Boo's blessing Luna could find some peace in her future.

"Well... to start my little one... I found out that I like both men and women." Luna spoke as she got up and walked over to get a wash bucket. Adria was blinking at this remark.

"You mean..." Luna turned back to her daughter.

"Boo... was the love of my life. He brought me you. You might not have come from my womb, but you have my heart."

"You didn't give birth to me?" Adria spoke as she realized that she was now an orphan.

"No..." Luna moved back to her daughter. "Boo was your father, and your mother died in child birth. When you and your father arrived at the rig... well... if a face can rise an army to invade a city, yours... invaded my heart and turned this hurt warrior into the mother you needed." Luna knelt before her daughter. "That was the day I pledged my fealty and heart to you my daughter." Luna moved to kiss her daughter's hand. "You and your father brought a peace to my life. Something I am eternally grateful for."

"You loved my father?"

"I did... and more... I wanted to make you a little brother or sister to play with you... my little fish." Luna became sad. "That was what we were planning on doing when your father was going to return from his supply run." Adria realized the blow that Luna had taken because of Alie was far deeper than any of the bruises of scars she had all over her body.

"You hate the Red Witch more for the damage she did... She didn't just steal father... she stole the chance for you to be a mother! To feel the life of a child growing within you to make your belly round."

Adria touched her own belly.

"Luna... do you love Raven?" Adria had used Luna's name and not mother as she often did when she had to hide who she was from those who visited their home. This change of tone only highlighted the questions Adria was having as she was coming of age.

"Interested... But seeing you happy..." Luna grinned as she ruffled Adria's hair.

"I like her... so... do you want to kiss her?" Adria spoke testing the waters. Adria had seen both men kissing men like Nate and Bryan and women kissing women like Clarke and Niyliah;0 so it wouldn't be too much of a jump for her to think that Luna might kiss Raven the same way given how her mother was blushing.

"Might... just working up the confidence to ask her." Luna was being honest with her daughter on that part. Luna either presented herself as a warrior or as a leader- but as a lover- bird shit. Not since Boo or Nameless had Luna felt this out of place on the topic of falling in love with someone. Adria was right. She was having feeling for the Skaikru Machine tamer/maker.

"Mommun!" Adria punched her.

"Alight... I will ask her. So... tell me why you are interested in finding out about your woman child blossoming body?" Luna countered.

"Well... there is this boy... he turns red when he looks at me... and well Bullworth has been trying to drag me to him."

"Are you the same way?"

"A little..." Adria was messing with her fingers. Luna was right... it was about a boy.

"Alright... I will wash your hair as you tell me about him. And... I will tell you about the first person I was smitten with. Adria... It was a girl. Then I will guide you through what changes are coming to your body." Adria looked relieved at realizing that many of her questions would be answered by her mother.

To say when it rains, it pours... not only relates to the weather, but also when it comes to talking about first loves.


Ontari curled up next to Jasper in bed. It had been a long few days since their return from up north and her native homeland. Luna's little one was currently recovering with the medicine she and the others have been able to retrieve from the old Garden Station. But the events happening around her from her experience up north we're still haunting her. Nia's actions were still having repercussions even to this day.

Ontari watched as the remaining Floukru ate the sweetened cake bread that had the medicinal herb in it. Murphy had baked the ingredients together under Jasper's guidance. Given how this herb stank in its raw form, Ontari hoped that it could treat the aftereffects of this poison.

Gods, Luna's little one looked like a starving Waif of winter solace lore.

But seeing Kore reunited with her sister Echo had been the hardest thing to witness.

The great warrior was now faced to confess her actions before one of her own family.

Seeing the warrior on her knees shook Ontari to her core, but seeing that mixture of hope and sadness come forth and seeing Bellamy there just pull the truth out.

The riot during this entire confession mess was one for the history yet to be written.

Between the distraction of having all of Arkadia learn that it was Echo that was the one that had been in the box had nearly brought about a riot. Crap... No wonder Clarke had the box carrying the Azgada warrior buried and rigged in such a way that everything, every whimper, ever word spoke that could be over heard was actually taking place within the Skaikru dungeon.

Only by faking that Emori's rocket launcher had been rigged on the door of the prison did the rioters stop to consider their actions realizing that it might bring the end of their home and their survival against the upcoming Praimfaya.

Kore being Echo Sister had been a shock to the members of the Hundred who had seen this little girl as bringing peace to them.

Adria of Floukru had somehow been able to broadcast Kore's words to her sister to get the real truth about Nia's plans for starting a war with Trikru to the ears of those around.

Echo would be punished along with Bellamy and those who had worked with Pike, but for the time being the Arkers were considering their place in the world.

There were many hard changes heading their way, but there was something there that Lexa had seen and now Ontari saw that made sense of why they were made part of the overall council.

Ontari still had her right of the kill, but to the Hundred, she had gotten the answers that were needed to soothe the pain caused by her former queen.

Indra would be arriving in a day or so to help set things up for burning Pike and Nia's bodies and selecting those to carry out the punishments for their attack on the three hundred warriors sent to protect them.

After that... Well punishing and banishing those needed would be on the list.

Ontari would be personally swinging an ax to bring down some of the trees for the funeral fires next to teaching along with Harper how to use a Shock Lash.

Forty-three shock lashes each for the survivors of Pike's riding party. That was for the 300 warriors killed under Indra's command.

Forty-Four Lashes for the deaths of Skiakru done by Echo. Plus, banishment for five years to live with Skaikru. That would equal the 49 people that she had killed.

Yes, Echo would hate her, but her life would be spared. Echo was as much a victim as Ontari was.

Nia, had used them both. Now... Well, there was something between Echo and Bellamy that drew them together.

Ontari knew of the damage and scaring that would take place from the use of the shock lance. But those people would be alive.

Yes, there were calls for blood to be had. But how do slay ones who sent the message who were already dead? The messengers who had been used because of their pain to avenge or protect those they loved had to live with their actions. Blood must have Blood had it limits.

The right of the kill... meant to take to life or spare a life for the crimes one committed- or find the truth behind them.

You had to be judged for the actions you had done. Was it the actions did by one, or were the actions ordered by another and the ones there just carried out?

Echo and Bellamy had found themselves in the same circumstance because of their leaders. Now Ontari had to pull their asses from the jaws of death.

Cow shit.

Ontari pulled close to Jasper and listened to his heartbeat.

Jasper's warm embrace caused Ontari to fall asleep as she tried her best to seek answers from her predecessors.


Niylah curled up next to Clark. Niylah was trying to work her fingers between Clark's naked breasts from her spooned position behind her. She could feel the young member of the Hundred just between the realm of Slumber and wakefulness.

Clarke had spent the last few nights sleeping with her in the nude as Niylah pulled every last stitch of Clarke's clothing off to ensure the Mighty Wanheda didn't leave her side. Clarke needed her rest and Niylah was going to make sure the woman got it.

It was almost like they were back at her trading post. Those nights when her father was away and Clarke would sneak in for a few hours or reprieve from the horrors she had witnessed and done at the Mountain.

Hearing about the Mountain Men children and how they died. For a healer like Clarke... whose main mission in life was to save lives- even that of a foe, still weighted upon her.

But to give those children a burial according to their traditions only highlighted her sense of honor she had for the dead.

Now as Niylah understood why Clarke didn't want to speak of it.

There was no honor in killing innocent children.

Even if those children were of your blood enemy.

Children were children... to slay one brought great weight of pain of those the ones who had done it.

This is why Clarke Kom Skaikru had taken up the name of Pauna kom Nokru.

To slay their greatest monster Clarke had become the thing she had feared... a monster. The Pauna.

Clarke shifted some under the sheets as Clarke felt Niylah's hand and pulled it closer to her.

"Lexa... please... don't die." Clarke was reliving the moment of Lexa's death again. "You have my fealty... my heart..." Then Clarke relaxed as Lexa's spirit spoke. "Alright... I will be strong." Clarke relaxed as she shifted back to sleep as Lexa did her best to sooth Clarke's spirt from the realm of dreams as Nilyah was doing to sooth Clarke's flesh in this realm.

Niylah prayed to her ancestors and to the spirits of the Commanders back to Bekka that Lexa's words had brought some peace to Skaikru warrior healer. Whatever had been spoken between the two women who had loved each other with all of their hearts must have been important and disarming.

Niylah took note of the tattoo on Clarke's shoulder in the spot where the Cougar had taken a chunk out of her flesh. The strange symbol seemed to have a deep meaning to her. Though Niylah had seen several of the young members of the Skaikru especially among those Clarke had come down from the Heavens with, this symbol meant something.

Word had gotten around the various kru that this symbol meant Griffin... A name the Clarke had been called by her people... not Wanheda... but by the name and title of Griffin... a title that was also shared by Clarke's own mother Abbi and late father Jake.

A title that was in relation to some ancient skai creature known to have the face, wings and front talons of an eagle and the rear and body consisting that of a lion. A creature said to be a protector. From everything that Niylah had been able to learn about this creature was that it was formable and fierce. Something that both women of this title bore well.

To bear a mark like this must have meant that unlike being called a Commander of Death... it meant to be a Protector of life.

Maybe it was the reason that Clarke loved it so much.

It wasn't a kill mark... it was a symbol of her quest to protect life. Her fealty to the Gods themselves to be their servant to protect those under their charge from harm.

Echo was lucky that Clarke had chosen to help Ontari in her quest to get answers on one of the last instigators of the Azgeda bombing.

If the truth could be learned... then maybe Skaikru would have the change to become respected among the kru across the land.

Clarke moved again, but this time she was grabbing the sheets around her. Niyliah knew what this meant as in a moment like a mouse sneaking its head out of its hiding place before deciding to sprint across the floor, that Clarke would roll over and bury her face into Niyliah's belly.

With a groan... Clarke did so. Like a Lion resting its head on a high rock to survey its hunting grounds below for potential threats and for game to hunt.

No wonder Lexa had become so smitten with this Princess from the Sky. Clarke had a strength and compassion about her that no one would stop. Compassion wasn't weakness with Clarke, it was her way of learning about who she was facing and giving you a way out.

You could hurt Clarke, but you would pay the price. A fatal Mistake the Mountkru had learned the hard way.

Now with the storms of Praimfaya fast approaching, Niyliah knew that she would stay this woman's side and follow her orders to the death if need be.

At this moment, Niyliah slowly stroked Clarke's blonde hair as she watched her Griffin sleep. The strong Winged Lion protector from the Sky.

May the gods and the ancestors grant her strength for the battles to come.

Clarke slept under the care of a fellow warrior that would ensure that she would be protected as she rested for this night.

With that Niyliah moved and rubbed Clarke's back and let her know that she was cared for as Clarke's breathing slowed to that of a child enjoying a restful night.

These were the days and nights that would be told to the children yet to be born and Niyliah was happy to have gained a place among those tales yet to be told.


Lexa slipped into Ontari's body after they had their deep discussion on the matters pertaining Echo of Azgeda and Bellamy of Skaikru.

Ontari was shaping into becoming a great leader under Clarke's tutelage.

Lexa had thought Clarke was mad at taking the former Azgeda handmaiden as her second, but seeing the skills and raw talent that the girl demonstrated spoke that Clarke wasn't looking for the aspects of a warrior. That was already there.

No…

Clarke was looking for something else in her Second.

Underneath that warrior girl's exterior, there was the desire to grow. To care. To love.

Then Lexa heard breathing as she looked up to see the face of a young man with whom Ontari was sharing a bed with. As Lexa moved Ontari's body and young man woke up and caressed her face.

"'Tar- are you okay?" the young man spoke sensing something was concerning her.

"I am well my love." The quizzical look on his face spoke volumes.

"Crap- okay... which one of the former Commanders am I dealing with?"

Lexa wasn't expecting this.

"What do you mean my..."

"First of 'Tar doesn't talk like that!" The young man stated. "Second..." The young man cleared his throat. "She calls me by my name." Lexa had to cope with the situation where fighting this man would bring problems for her.

"Skaikru..." Lexa decided that the truth would be the best way out. "I am Lexa kon Trikru."

"Kinda of figured it would be you… or 'Cesca." The young man rolled his eyes. "Except 'Cesca tends to be more diplomatic." Lexa paused. "Worried about Clarke?" The young man's honesty spoke volumes. It was as if he was expecting this situation to come up. "Alright. I'll get dressed."

Lexa leaned back to realize that this young man wasn't worried.

"You are not angry?" Lexa spoke using Ontari's voice. The way that Ontari sounded was different than her own voice.

"No... But you better establish some ground rules with Ontari before you decide to take Ontari's body for another Joy Ride." Jasper's term for what she was doing was quite strange, but it made sense- somewhat.

"You were expecting this?" Lexa spoke as she flexed Ontari's physical form, then she stopped for a moment as she realized that Ontari's chest was far different than her's. This is when Ontari's Skaikru lover grinned at her, then sighed.

"Yes… and." Jasper ran a finger along the top edge of Ontari's nightgown. Lexa realized that he had noticed her discomfort in Ontari's taste in clothing. "Guess that this is the first time in someone else's body."

Lexa moved to cover her breasts.

"Don't worry, give me a second." The young man moved up behind her and adjusted two straps on the gown and brought them forward. "Ontari usually undoes these ties whenever she is worried."

Lexa felt the straps and started to tie them in front of her.

The young man looked at her and noticed that formality was falling apart.

"Hold on… Lexa…" The young man moved and promptly readjusted the ties to Ontari's nightgown.

"By the Gods! You love her... don't you?"

Those words made the young man stop.

"Yeah… She with me." This is when he looked at Lexa or Ontari. "Shit… Alie did a number to both of us. This is a girl who loves knowledge, wants to grow. Very wolf-like like me." There was something more there. "I was Alie's general. I fought to defend not that Red bitch, but Ontari."

"Despite being twisted under that witch's lies… I think me and Ontari were honest with each other."

"You see my appearance in her body as an insult." Lexa's eyes went down.

"Crap…" the young man rushed over to her. "You are that worried about Clarke!" This change in the mood only highlighted the situation at hand.

"I am," Lexa spoke. "That and I want to tell her about Klone Project."

"Alright… talk with Ontari. I will wait here…" the young man raised his hands fully understanding the situation.

"You will not stop me?" Lexa realized that Ontari's lover was willing to help her.

"Lexa… you are horary Hundred. Clarke still loves you."

Horary Hundred?

Lexa started to realize that when she pledged her fealty to Clarke that day when Skaikru became the Thirteenth Clan, that Clarke would have granted her the same status among her people as well. Maybe it was her way of ensuring that whatever was said between them was done as equals. Lexa probably would have been able to announce this publicly and force Pike to surrender to her and her armies not as Lexa Kon Trikru, but as Lexa Kon Skaikru if Titus's bullet hadn't struck her down.

Clarke would have been accepted being a member of Trikru just as Lexa would have had status among Skaikru. With that Lexa moved back into the realm of the Singularity to speak with Ontari.

If Ontari's greater connection with the Flame could be used, then maybe there could be a chance for her to, under Clarke's guidance, to become a great Commander.


Jasper walked with Lexa inside of Ontari's body.

Ontari had been a little upset about the "joy ride" in her body, but seeing how distressed Lexa had been in the time she had been away from her beloved, Ontari understood.

Some ground rules had been established between the two, but for now, Ontari was hanging back. Watching and learning about her predecessor.

As Jasper was now bringing Lexa up to speed on Clarke's state of mind, Niyliah… well, Clarke's friend with benefits and the status of the preparation for the upcoming storm. Seeing Ontari's body react to the Commander's behavior was interesting.

This last part had Lexa concerned, but Jasper stated that if they had Bekka's knowledge of the Second Dawn's bunker that they had been looking for, then Jasper wouldn't mind another Commander being in Ontari's body.

But there had to be ground rules.

Something that after this discussion with Clarke would be worked out in more detail, but for now…

Lexa's mental health and Clarke's were the priority.

Approaching Clarke's door, Jasper knocked.

The way Lexa was acting dictated that she was worried. When Niyliah answered the door wearing nothing but a shirt and nothing below the waist.

"Niyliah… you alright?" Niyliah looked tired but it wasn't from lack of sleep.

"A little tired. I just got Clarke to finally sleep." Niyliah didn't mind being partially naked, but it seemed that she was using it as a means to keep Clarke put.

"Still hiding her clothes!" Jasper stated.

"Yes… it is probably the only way that I have been able to keep her from getting up in the middle of the night and leaving. Her body needs rest." Niyliah looked back into the room to where a sleeping Clarke lay curled up in a mess of sheets, furs, and pillows.

Lexa looked in and felt her heart sink.

"I haven't seen it this bad since the days where she was Pauna kom Nokru." Niyliah started to cry. "I would off my body and bed up to her to provide a few hours of peace as my way of repaying her for what she did to avenge my mother being taken by the mountain men. Then she would be gone before the dawn." Niyliah looked in to look at Clarke. "Now I pray that Lexa's spirit when it visits her in her dreams is the only peace she has."

Lexa knew this place all too well.

She had been in the same place with Costia.

Each night she sought the warmth of her lover in her bed.

The peace it brought.

How the world seemed a little less painful because of it.

Then Costia's death.

It tore at her.

No…

Clarke had to live.

She needed peace.

"What if… what if my… Lexa's spirit returned for a little while to speak to her." Niyliah caught the verbal misstep.

"Lexa?" Instead of fear, the woman embraced Lexa inside of Ontari's body. "The gods heard my prayers." Then Niyliah knelt before the Commander's spirit vessel.

"You may pass." The woman let Lexa through.

Lexa had thought she might have to fight this woman, but all this woman was doing was trying to protect Clarke with all of her might. If offering up her flesh for a few hours of pleasure and warmth to Clarke so that the warrior could have some peace then so be it.

Costia had been the same way when they had met.

Then it became something more.

No… Clarke needed something more than this woman.

Niyliah seemed a worthy person who would look out for the health and wellness of her Heda. Clarke's honorary status as being Wanheda spoke to that.

"Niyliah… you protected her during her darkest hours after the battle. Healing her body and spirit. I cannot repay you for all you have done." Lexa spoke as she moved to caress Clarke's shoulder.

Lexa remembered those nights when Clarke couldn't sleep.

A soft caress, a gentle kiss.

Then Clarke would rest.

Some of the servants became curious, but in the end, Wanheda seemed to be a legend that seeing Lexa offer herself up was her way of gaining some insight into the mighty warrior. But Clarke was something that was more power than being a warrior. Clarke was a healer.

Everyone wanted to be Death… but to command Death. To understand why it attacked the sick, the young, the old. The limits the body could withstand in battle. Lexa just was enamored by this understanding.

When Lexa had spoken to Clarke on how she had battled the plague that had been sent into her camp, all Clarke responded was that. "It was a fight. I only found peace with myself when I too became ill. For I too would understand the suffering those around me."

For Clarke, she counted herself as one of her people… Not their leader, nor their Commander.

But as one of her people.

If someone was cold, she would offer her own blanket to them.

Water, food, medicine.

She was compassion.

Some thought that as being a weakness.

No… it was Clarke's strength.

This was how one gained allies.

Found warriors who would stand with her when she needed them.

Seeing what all Clarke had built with those simple acts of compassion…

She moved heaven and earth to save as many people of these various clans as she could.

Now she offered the one thing that would make Clarke whole.

The same thing that Costia had given her.

Family.

Using the same gentle nudge that she used to coax Clarke awake after a few hours of lovemaking Lexa performed the action that only lovers whose souls had been bonded together knew of.

"Clarke…" Lexa spoke trying to wake Clarke up.

Clarke rolled a little as she was in a deep sleep.

Niyliah seemed to have done her best to help Clarke get some much-needed rest.

"My love..." Lexa spoke as she moved to lean on Clarke's back the same way she had done in Polis. "You are safe."

The light presses of Lexa's/Ontari's body weight was enough to wake Clarke up.

"Lexa!" Clarke breathed in in the longing connective way when she woke up.

To hear Clarke's voice once again in the living world made Lexa's heart flutter.

Seeing Clarke rotate her head around to look up at her made her grin then the look of discomfort flowed over Clarke's face when she saw Ontari's face and not her's.

"Ontari?"

Lexa's heart sank to the level it had been at when she had found Costia's head in her bed.

"Clarke..." Lexa croaked out with pleading eyes. This is when Niyliah intervened along with Jasper as Clarke moved to cover herself.

"Clarke…" Niyliah called out as she rushed over to Clarke's side. "It's okay… Lexa is borrowing Ontari's body so that she can talk to you."

Seeing how the Trikru woman, who had become Clarke' intimate friend, spoke volumes as she was coming to her aid.

"What?" Clarke was able to croak out.

"Lexa is using Ontari's body!" Jasper declared.

"Listen if this is some sick…" Lexa had to do something to prove to Clarke it was her. Then Lexa kissed her.

Clarke fought for a moment before the small mannerisms of how they moved and followed the other's lips and tongues came back.

"Lexa!" Clarke was working hard to process the situation before her. All Lexa could do was Blush.

"Yes, Clarke it is me. The Cinnamon Roll Raccoon that stole your heart." Lexa cleared her throat as she bit her lip.

Clarke fell backward on the bed.

Lexa saw the recent scars on her flesh at the top of her chest.

"I should have been there for you Clarke." Lexa averted her eyes. "I should have never left your side that day you were planning on leaving. I should have gathered my forces and joined you with the army to the blockade."

"And what… Titus was going to shoot someone that day. It could have been me. Murphy…"

"I know, but I love you…" Lexa looked up to see Niyliah who was getting worried. This is when Lexa reached up and motioned for the Trikru woman to approach. "That will never change. This woman… she has pledged her fealty to you. She is loyal, I do not hate her. She is who she is and she is offering you comfort in a troubling time. I have been there… Oh on Costia's ashes, I have been there." Lexa nodded for the woman to sit on the bed.

"Commander Lexa… I…" Niyliah was about to speak but Lexa raised a hand to stop the woman mid-sentence.

"Niyliah of Trikru, Jasper has spoken of your loyalty to Clarke here. Despite all that you have lost, you provided her a light to guide her through her troubles. Costia did the same for me when I became the Commander of our people. A kind touch and not knowing you are alone means much to one who leads." Lexa started to cry.

Costia…

Oh, by the Gods… she missed her first love. She was no Clarke, but she was the one for which all loves that came after were to be measured against.

Clarke was different; she was compassion, strength... She showed Lexa a world that was beyond her wildest dreams. Now, even in the light of the coming storm, people made plans for the future. Ontari's Flamekeeper, Murphy, was going to be a father. Luna was falling in love again. Even Ontari was thinking about a life other than being just a Commander.

With those thoughts in mind, Lexa spoke what needed to be said.

"Clarke, a few weeks ago while you were in Singularity getting the formula to get the Nightblood you had to increase in volume so that you could use it as an inoculate from Bekka. I was giving Ontari a mission to help find the bunkers." Clarke remembered that night.

"That night is a little hard to forget, Lexa." This is when Clarke moved up in bed while she was covering herself in the process. Lexa bit her lips.

"Well... Ontari had come to speak with Bekka earlier that night about something she wanted to do to put things right with you, in a way Bekka started to see that this might provide an opportunity to restore the Nightbloods to what they were supposed to be: Guides and teachers for the future."

"Okay..." Clarke was getting part of this.

"Clarke... Ontari was talking about Cloning the previous Commanders." Jasper spoke up.

This had Clarke's full attention.

"What!" Clarke was almost out of the bed as she pulled the sheets around her to cover her naked form.

"Clarke..." Lexa sprinted over to her love. "I know of the taboos about what this means. But the Rules that Lexa wants for the Clones is that they are to be raised as the children of their predecessors." This is when Lexa spun Clarke around. "Clarke. I want you to raise my daughter as your own." Clarke stopped cold.

"What?" Clarke was in shock.

"My Daughter!" Lexa stated those two words to Clarke as an explanation. "I want you to raise, the Blood Forged Flesh Child Ontari is going to create in Bekka's Blood Forge from my ashes as your own." Clarke blinked a few times.

"You want me to..."

"Clarke... I know she will not be me..." Lexa grinned. "I do not have much left in this world. I see, hear and feel the heartbreak that you are experiencing." This is when Lexa decided to speak from her heart. "The time for Ontari to take the Flame is quickly approaching and before me and the others become fully part of her, I wish to grant this gift to you. I saw how you looked at the children that gathered around me when I walked through Polis and you saw that side of me that... That was so like you or at least what I tried to better myself as." Lexa remembered that walk through the market with Clarke. Clarke was wearing the blue hood and garments that she used to disguise herself as a fellow "Grounder" as Clarke and her Kru called the people on the ground. Then a gaggle of children were running up to her. Clarke held back, watching what was playing out.

These children were speaking to Lexa about all of the things that were happening in their lives. But seeing how Clarke had helped a scared Azgeda girl come closer. Lexa became curious as the Commander of Death just guided the child, talking with her, and... Well making her not afraid. Clarke's compassion was noticed by all present. It was what Clarke said next that made her lover al that more:

"Don't worry little one, the Commander maybe scary at times, but she is a good person. She does what she can in her power to protect her people, the people she leads, she cares for, guards with sword and word, but she is no different than you. I trust her, I would give my life for her." This is when Clarke stroked the Azgeda clan markings on the girl's face. "I see that you are of Roan's clan. I trust Roan, he has a complicated history, but he is a good man. I don't envy the task before him, I do not hate your people but people like Nia who wish war against the innocent make the lives of children like yourself all that much more difficult."

This when the child spoke.

"I'm still scared. I wish I was like Wanheda. She isn't afraid of anything."

Clarke just grinned.

"Well Wanheda gets scared too. She knows that not all fears can be easily so conquered. Sometimes they can help keep you safe. If there is a large animal chasing you and you are smaller. Then know that you can go places they can't. Other times your fears can be conquered if you understand that you are not the only one scared. That showing a little compassion can make you not as afraid as the one you are facing. When that happens-" Clarke looked up to Lexa and grinned at her as those words sunk in from their many encounters. Even going back to their first meeting in Lexa's war tent. "-you find out that you are not all that different."

"I don't want to be weak!" The girl called out.

"You are confusing kindness for weakness. Kindness allows you to learn about who you are facing. Ignorance becomes your weakness in that you lack the knowledge about someone or something and that allows them to have power over you."

"Then... Compassion allows you to gain strength by learning about who you are facing." The girl was understanding.

"Don't give it away rashly, but in small amounts." Clarke grinned. "It is amazing what a little compassion can do to grease the wheels of understanding."

"Then... The Heda... I should be nice to her?" The girl seemed worried.

"Treat her the same way that you want to treated."

"I don't want her to scare me or hurt my family." The girl hung close to Clarke.

"Then say that."

"Commander Lexa... I Siggy of Azgeda wish that you not harm me or my family." The girl was worried but she looked towards Clarke. "I don't so much pledge my fealty to you, but I pledge it to..." The girl braced herself to be hit. "I pledge it to the warriors that fight beside of Wanheda." The girl swallowed as Lexa approached. Kneeling before the girl to get down to her eye level.

"I agree with you there." The girl looked shocked.

"You do!" Lexa shrugged.

"Yes... I do... Don't you agree Clarke." Clarke knelt down by the girl. Who now realized that she had been speaking to Wanheda all the time.

"I do Lexa... Though I am still trying to figure you out. There is goodness in you, most see this great leader. Warrior. Politician. What I see is a reflection of myself. Someone who is willing to do what needs to be done to protect those of they lead as well those they who they are charged in the care for."

"Care for?" The girl looked confused.

"I was trained as a healer, but I know enough that you need to defend the spirit as well as the body from coming to harm. When you understand that not all battles can be won through brute force, then you have to lean upon the fact they have to be won through more subtle means: compassion, healing, caring for others who wish you harm, giving comfort to warrior who is about to pass from this world to the next. The little things that in the face of unsurmountable odds can provide you the moments needed to start building trust between you and those who wish you harm, or in some cases come to your aide when you need them the most. Life should be more than surviving, it should be about living and showing that in this world or the next, what takes place matters and has repercussions both good and ill. You just have to make sure that in the end when your life comes to an end that there is a merciful god out there that will take pity on you for your actions both good and ill and welcome you to the other side."

Seeing the look of fealty, I Lexa's eyes must have struck a chord in Clarke that day as Lexa looked to those around that Clarke wanted her to become a better Commander, a better leader, someone that wouldn't just lead them, but be a person who could show them a world where Blood must have blood didn't mean vengeance, it would mean family.

Now in the present, inside of Ontari's body. Lexa wanted to give the last thing she ever could in this world or the next: a piece of herself forged into a child to stand by Clarke and learn to become the person that would inspire generations to come.

"Clarke... Ontari will learn under Bekka the lost knowledge of the Blood Forge. Please accept the child forged from hair and teeth of body. Please raise this child as your own. My spirit will watch over the both of you, but please... in the name of the Gods that you pledged your oath of healing to, accept this gift."

Lexa moved the kneel before Clarke.

"Lexa..." Clarke stood up.

"You saw me for who I could be. Grant my child as much."

This is when Clarke kissed Lexa/Ontari on the forehead.

"I accept." Clarke with all of her bare skin exposed and wrapped in a simple sheet reminded Lexa of the statues of the ancient Gods.

This is when Lexa rose and kissed Clarke with the same loving passion she had when she had come into Lexa's quarters the day she had died.

Ontari squirmed, but after a moment the reply within Lexa's connection as the full strength of Lexa's emotional link with Clark was: Oh shit! You really loved her!

The next message was:

Uh... Lexa... is that my hand caressing between her naked breasts? Because...

Lexa looked into Clarke's eyes and stopped before hugging her realizing that this level of intimacy between them had to end. This was Ontari's body and she had no right to seek a moment of pleasure with the woman she loved. No… This was a chance to state what she needed to state to Clarke so that she could move on with her life.

"I will always by your side. Care for those I cared for as if they were your own."

"I Lexa. I will."

Lexa kissed Clarke before returning to the realm of spirits.

Ontari who was looking around the room now understood the power of love.

Now... with mission, she swore to ensure that Lexa's decree was carried out.


Currently working on the next chapter. Hopefully it will not take as long as this one did.

Hearns