Chapter 19: Entombing the Red Witch
Chapter Summary
Raven learns what it means to be a Wand Wod and Ilian learns to that his redemption is a work in progress.
Chapter Notes
Hope that you like this chapter.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
The journey to Bekka's Island took the better part of three days. John looked over at Emori as she sat on the couch. She had removed her mitten from her deformed hand. She had traced marker along the points of it to split her fused fingers to look like a normal hand.
With the storm approaching Emori expressed her need to be a useful member of Skaikru.
She already was, maybe the pregnancy was making her worry more, but her will to survive is what made him fall in love with her in the first place.
This is when Raven came in with Luna.
Luna and Raven had come to the island with Murphy and Illian to help the young man with his closure.
For Raven, it was for her to supervise the destruction of the hard drives that Alie had lived on for the past century. Now seeing the damn things turned into metal slag would make him and other sleep better at night.
Raven... well, she had come to the island to see Beka's workshop- among other things. But mostly this was a mission to ensure that Alie was offline permanently.
Illian had come in and walked over to the pull lever of the sink.
The pressure valve had been designed to look like that of a rural two century old hand pump, but the sign that Emori had placed over it to state "Lift lever to bring water, drop lever to stop" had helped preserve the ancient plumbing. The son of a blacksmith looked muddy as hell, but his spirit seemed cleaner.
"Well, the smithing forge has been roughly assembled to receive the metal disks and slivers that Raven has gone through."
She had removed her mitten from her deformed hand. She had traced marker along the points of it to spilt her fused fingers to look like a normal hand.
This is when Raven came in with Luna.
Luna and Raven had come to the island with Murphy and Ilian to help the young man with his closure. Amazing what happens when you state that You are going to smelt the bones of the feared Red Witch into steel so that she would be trapped in it forever.
Well, the number warriors and shamans that wanted to come along to witness it had grown to where he had needed help to sort out the lot.
He was glad that Clarke had helped screen the bunch that was now here with them from people she had gotten to know in Polis.
Politics aside, most of this was PR to make the clans go along with knowing Alie, that damn witch was damn dead.
There was a lot of stuff here and given that they had encountered the attack drones around the island. Raven had been able to get them to yield to her control.
Another PR boost from their initial reconnaissance of the island.
Now as the number of warriors guarding this place had grown, this new batch of reinforcements stated they were being rotated out.
A lot of the Arkers who had been part of the first batch, wanted to get back to their families, but some... Well stayed here just to make sure that Aile didn't reboot.
Murphy didn't blame them.
Now it was up to Ilian and his forge knowledge to smelt that damn bitch into something other than a hard drive, flash card, or some other removable media.
Murphy was thinking of a damn garden hoe or a wrench, maybe even a carpentry hammer as a fitting punishment for that witch.
Luna agreed with him there. Though she was thinking more like a fishing trident or a net weight.
Mostly for Murphy, he wanted to restock that damn bunker just in-case Emori, and him had to leave Arkadia.
He was going to be a father.
He was going to make sure that he was going to be a far better one than his father had been.
Clarke was working flat out in getting Arkadia ready for the storm along with the bunkers of Greenbrier, and Ravens Rock. Ontari was handling the bunker in Polis and Abby was working with Roan to get Azgeda ready for the storm.
But here, Murphy was resetting up the emergency bunker just in case it was needed. Word had gotten back to him over the Radio that the Arkers had stated that Emori was now an Honorary Arker. Monty had set up a mobile algae farm to be put in the bunker. Murphy hated the stuff, but considering that if someone got stuck here, at least they could have some food to survive off of.
He hoped that of wouldn't be needed, but he had an itching feeling it might. The non-corporal voice was grumbling again that had saved Luna's daughter. He had the feeling that placing that stuffed Raccoon and Lion in with the items would make some child that might get stuck here feel a little safer.
Off in the distance, they had given the Lion he had brought here the same type of hairstyle as Bree and Clarke had. The damn thing looked cute as Hell.
One of the female guards grinned as she passed the lion.
Guessing that even they had kids and that Clarke's and Bree's hair style would become popular in the next few months given the braiding work done.
Several warriors were standing guard alongside the reprogrammed drones.
They had named some after some of the fallen members of The Hundred.
It just seemed right.
Trina, Pascal, Wells, Finn, Charlotte, Roma, Drew, Phoenix, and Wolf.
Raven's little flock. The Kanic Sora.
One drone flew by as it looked in.
Minus Alie's influence these mechanical creatures seemed to have developed or redeveloped their artificial intelligent personalities that they had before Alie had enslaved them.
Yeap... it was Finn. The damn thing would rock the same way the guy would when he was hanging around Clarke. Seeing Raven, the drone flew off to go back on patrol.
Raven ruffled her hair some as she was walking around wearing a pair of really high cut shorts and a sports bra in her bare feet.
Raven was wearing some funky headdress, but considering she was slowly going native, guess she understood some of the mysticism Alie used to control these people. Guess, that Raven was welcomed into the order of Witches and Mages that now called her sister.
The clear smell of tattoo oil could be traced to Raven's body.
"Murphy, could you please get me some water?" Raven spoke as she moved to sit down.
She was limping less.
Luna helped ease Raven down.
Murphy moved to get some water from the faucet. Alie had maintained the house's human comforts and the well water was filtered through a toxin and microbial mesh that made it safe to drink.
The mug that said Warframe on its side looked to be from some media group. That and the NPR, APM, AP, Reglius, Doctor WHO, Marvel, DC, PBS, ABC - Australian Broadcasting Company, SHOW CASE, BBC, Fortnight, Overwatch, Killzone, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and old the old school NASA, and SPACE-X mugs seemed to reflect those had once lived here. Somehow the strange armored characters on the Warframe mug reminded him of Bound from the festival days. But the one named Mag seemed to look more like someone in a space suit. Maybe it was like Raven liked the mug so much... Her Zero-G spacewalk mechanic days.
Raven moved to remove her leg brace. Hearing the straps clang off from the metal support he could see why the was smelling the tattoo oil.
There were several tattoos on Raven's injured leg. There was a pattern to them, but he didn't know what they were, But Luna did as Emori tucked her hand back into her mitten there was a sense that Raven had been transformed.
"The tattoos will reroute the pain you feel from your injuries." Raven looked tired, but more relaxed.
"Ai giv ai op gon nemiyon kom lanik-de… Ai giv ai op gon nemiyon kom lanik-de… Ai giv ai op…" Raven was officially going native. Luna kissed her on the forehead.
Fuck... Luna was Bi...
Then Raven kissed the Sea fairing Grounder back... on the lips!
Raven was Bi?
Crap... Raven had a droopy grin on her face.
What the fuck happened when she got that tattoo?
"Thank you..." Raven looked to be a little out of it. Then the hiccup took place.
No... Raven was drunk?
Horny and Drunk.
What they hell was she doing while getting tattooed?
"I'll get you a blanket, now chew on the herb and drink your water." Luna handed a long dark herb to Raven and watched as the Mechanic started to chew on it.
"It is really bitter... but a mild bitter." Raven munched on it. Raven moved to take a swig from her mug.
Raven looked relaxed. "This is good."
Whatever was in that herb must have had some serious kick to it as Raven seemed to relax more as she was eating it and... well the out of it look in her eyes seemed to be more like she was being drugged. Or... Whatever voodoo shit that was being done in relation to those tattoos must have taken some of the injury pain away.
For all of the shit that Murphy and others had done to her, Raven seemed to be making her peace with her pain.
Luna moved and headed over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a large blanket and brought it over to Raven.
Raven seemed to relish in the softness of it as she curled up in it.
"Luna... what were you and Raven doing?" Emori spoke up.
"One of the shamans decided to use Healer's ink to treat Raven's leg pain. Guess Raven took one too many cups of liquid courage to work up the nerve to have her injuries tattooed." Murphy had heard of the practice while he was in Polis with Clarke and Ontari. But seeing how plastered Raven was...
"John... You are not a jerk." Raven spoke as she snuggled under the blanket. Then after a moment of not feeling comfortable, Raven pulled off her top... then a moment later... Well came her shorts. It wasn't until he saw that she had also removed her underwear as well Murphy moved to get another blanket and placed it over her.
"Luna... how much did Raven have to drink?" Murphy spoke as he looked at the curly haired Nightblood.
"Five or six drinks." She stated.
"Of what... Shine!" Murphy was concerned. He had heard the stories about Raven's mother... Her tolerance over Liquor wasn't something that all that good.
"Bourbon from the Shallow Valley." Luna stated.
Fuck... Raven was heavily marinated in the damn good shit.
"Luna... Raven has a low tolerance of anything that makes one drunk." Murphy threw up his hands. "It hurts her... Her body isn't able to flush it out as quickly as most." Murphy moved and grabbed her. "You got her drunk... you watch over her!" The look of shock now as setting in as the sound of a soft hiccup could be heard coming from Raven as Luna realized what she had accidentally done.
Emori moved and scooted by Raven. Peeking under the blanket she shifted her head from side to side.
"John... She has some serious Tattoos on her. The binding Mage... the call of the Wod-Witch... Fealty to Wanheda. Shit..." John jumped with concern as he raced over to Raven.
"What is it?" John was worried as he was about to pull the blanket off of Raven to see what else had happened to her that Luna and the rest of her Coven cronies had done.
"She has some great tits on her." John stopped cold. Emori blushed a little as she checked her ever-growing breasts from her pregnancy. "Mine are bigger, but I like them that way."
It was Emori and her desire for cleavage after finding out she could have a normal life.
Ontari had better cleavage because of her body shape, but Emori had better breasts for his tastes.
It was a damn fight over who had the biggest cock back at the Delinquents Camp all over again, but this time, the girls-.
John just sat down on the couch and he made sure Raven was covered up to preserve a sense of modesty.
"You show concern about Raven, John Murphy of Skaikru." Luna spoke as she sat next to him.
"Well, you got her drunk..." Murphy may have been the jerk back at the Drop-ship, but now... Fuck... he was going to have to be nice with the people he rubbed the wrong way.
"She has much pain, but also great strength."
"Sinclare-" Raven mumbled as she pulled the blanket closer. John moved and stroked Raven's hair back and she calmed down.
"Raven's mentor was a powerful and wise teacher. Despite where she came from, he found that stone in the rough and made it into a beautiful gem with all of his knowledge and caring." There was a reverence among Luna's voice. It spoke volumes.
John just watched as Raven seemed to be more relaxed from this weird Grounder Tribal tradition stuff than he was.
Maybe it was the reason that Clarke had gone so native in Polis.
Now, Raven was finding her home here.
"I'll look after her till she sobers up." Murphy stated as he took up his watch over his friend realizing that Luna like him had some baggage. Guess that when you save someone kid, they sort of want to ensure that debt is paid; even if it is in the terms of a long-term friendship.
Emori seemed to understand that there was some history between Raven and Murphy but sensed that this was more of a looking out for his friend.
He had helped Wanheda through her days of Hell after Lexa's death, now...
Raven kon Skaikru, Mage, Wod-Witch, weaver of the metal spells needed some rest as she became sober again.
John felt the presence of that voice in the back of his mind.
Well, John, you are becoming the person you need to be.
Not the hero, but a worthy man.
Shut up, dude... I got the point.
Now fuck off for now, I have a damn drunk girl to deal with who is going to have the mother of all hangovers here in a bit when she wakes up.
John could sense that whatever the voice was, it seemed to be grinning.
Well, it wasn't a throw him against the wall and threaten his ass to do something.
The sound or Raven snoring made him sigh.
It was going to be a long night.
Beer... now that was a luxury that the members of Skaikru loved. It wasn't the ocean tasting kelp stuff that they grew on the stations, but this stuff- the hops and barley that was grown in the soil of Mother Earth... that was the thing of the gods. Bryan took a sip from his mug and savored it.
His dad would kill him if he found out he was drinking, but this was him bonding with the other warriors here on the island.
He couldn't move fast but that didn't mean he couldn't oversee the destruction of Alie' first hand. He was one of the few Skaikru that Alie hadn't chipped and thus... despite his injury in the Battle of Polis, he was chosen to help ensure the smelting of the bitch's hard drives took place.
Guess after what had taken place with these folks having to fight their own kin from killing innocent people. There was a time needed to breathe and understand that as Lincoln once said: everyone has a monster inside, you have to accept responsibility for when it gets out.
Well, Alie let out a whole lot of monsters through her actions.
Guess when you have to have to fight your loved ones from killing you or worse. Well, Blood must have Blood tends not to be valid after you live through something like that.
A few people realized that they Ilian had been brought here; along with a few others; to ensure that Alie's spirit was permanently put down.
But right now, he and the warriors who had been selected to come here to ensure the blacksmiths and the mystics, shamans and priests were safe were now just bonding.
Lem a tall dark-skinned Grounder from the Plain Riders sat down next to him.
"Enjoying your Beer." Bryan nodded.
"Yeah... it so different from the wine that Ontari offered up to me and Nate." There was a Grin.
"Heard about what you did in the Ice Nation-" Word had gotten around about what had happened in Azgeda... the Ice Queens secret now coming out. Ontari being a victim. The innocent being saved.
"No one should be treated like that." Nate stated as he remembered that look in Ontari's eyes. "I thought that..." Nate looked around the room and realized that there were a few Azgeda here too. "All Grounders..." Nate stopped himself as the warrior grinned at him.
"Ah... you are sensitive about insulting those of us on the Ground."
"Hey when you see the world from above as I did... You don't see the borders, the lines in the sand. Territories, or the lines on some map... you just see: Lake, mountain range, plains, ocean, Forrest, desert, some ice that is waaayyyy far north and south."
"Must have been a sight." The warrior stated.
"It was..." Nate looked around the room and saw a picture on the wall. "Shit... " Bryan got up and walked over to the picture. "You have got to be kidding me..." Lem followed him to one picture on the wall.
"What is it?"
"I'll be damned... guess that one of Bekka's old crew took a picture of what they saw while up on Polaris Station." Lem realized that the strange picture that was hanging on the wall was the view of the entire territory as seen from the sky.
"This picture is... was made from someone who was up in the heavens?" Lem looked at the picture.
"Yes, it was..." Bryan moved over to look at the caption near it. "Home, East Coast: 2044 by Miles Shaw." The subsection under it read: "For my Friend Rebekka Franko Mugan, thanks for giving me the ride to the stars."
"Rebekka Franko Mugan?" Lem looked at the name. "As in Prameheda Bekka?"
"Guess, she made an impact in someone's life before she became Heda." Bryan stated as he looked at the old photo.
"I wonder who this Miles Shaw was?" The two men looked at the photo and took in the image that had been made by the Friend of the First Commander.
"I don't know... But given that it is hanging here states that Miles must have been some grateful friend who was close to Bekka. Guess that he got his chance to ride to the stars before the first Great Fire came."
"Friends like that, even the greatest of us needs in our lives."
"Very true... Even the Warriors of the Hundred are like that."
"Well, if this is a picture of things to come. Then may the United Clans of these lands one day have the chance to see this image and place that this Miles hovered over in this image so long ago."
Bryan raised his glass to Lem.
"Same here my brother. Same here."
Raven awoke on the couch. Nearby sat Murphy. The number of blankets covering her was at-least three or four deep. Moving her body, she stopped cold. First, she wasn't wearing her sports bra. Second. Raven swallowed hard. Her checking made her cringe as the draft confirmed the worse between her legs.
"Oh, you are awake... " Murphy stated as he brought a mug over to her. "Luna got a bit worried when she found out that you couldn't hold your Liqueur." Raven didn't need to hear this.
"Murphy- where is my underwear?" Raven glared at him.
"Feel over to your right, Luna and I placed them there after you finished stripping under your blanket and falling asleep. You were seriously plastered."
Murphy looked tired.
"Did you-?" Raven found the garments and quickly dragged them under the blankets.
"See you naked?" Murphy shook his head. "No... But Emori and Luna did." There was a light grin on his face. "Emori commented that you have some great breasts on you, but her boobs are bigger and to her liking." The light chuckle spoke volumes. "Though she did see your scar that you have along your rib."
Fuck...
Did Murphy start to act like a civil individual when someone was in a more compromising position than he was?
Or maybe it was Emori's influence on him to make him a better person.
That and the baby on the way.
Maybe having to be responsible for someone is what he needed to stop being such a jerk.
Raven moved and...
Her knee!
Raven stopped cold not so much because she hadn't put her bra on, but... The lack of pain.
This wasn't the complete removal of all pain, like Alie had done with her mind whamming Mojo Jojo on her central nervous system. But this was something radically different.
This felt more- well, wholesome and natural to what her body desired and needed for it to heal.
Raven pulled her leg up and looked at the tattoo markings on her knee. Each one of the tattoos followed a line of nerves that have been hurt from her gunshot wound to her body.
They were a set of straight lines done in a weird type of blue and black ink. The strange thing was that they were over the damn nerves in her leg that had been hurting.
Now.
Nothing.
Raven needed to.
"Murphy. Where is my leg brace?"
Raven wrapped the surrounding blanket the best she could given that she was sitting on top of it with her naked ass. What the heck was going on here?
"By your foot." Murphy stated as he pointed to the floor. "You shrugged it off with your pants after you got loopy, 'I have a sexy body and I know it' from all the liquid courage you downed."
Raven leaned over to see her pants were a rumpled pile on the floor and next to her leg brace. She stopped cold to see that she had another tattoo on her leg.
It was of a Raven holding a wrench in its claws.
The words circling it were:
Sin Klayr Kom Skaikru
Wode Wan Nomdo op
Ravin Kom Skaikru
Sora Kanic Wode
Raven stopped as she touched the markings.
How drunk had she been when she had gotten tattooed?
Her Grounder was rough, but...
Sinclair had been listed as... Her mentor.
Raven sat down again.
Murphy looked at her.
"Something wrong Raven?" Despite being a jerk these words were sincere.
"No..." Raven was still a little hazy, but she was coming out her hangover.
"Well, you got tattooed- and then some."
"Yeah..." Raven pulled herself into a ball with one of her legs exposed and was tracing the tattoos. Raven's eyes hurt. "Still feeling the aftereffects of the liquid courage, you downed."
"Yeah." Murphy approached her with a mug of water and took it. Raven took a drink from the NPR mug.
"How much do you remember?" Murphy stated as he kept a lookout for her.
"Not much after the ceremony started."
"Well, you got pretty hammered, before Luna brought back here and you started stripping." Murphy bent down and handed Raven her underwear. Raven looked at Murphy disgusted, but he looked sincere. "Luna covered you up and you just have been out. Emori got a look at your breasts, but mostly she commented that you have a ton of Tattoos all over your body."
Raven pulled herself into a ball and put her underwear around her ankles. Looping it over her knees under the blanket, Murphy turned away so that she could over her ass with some modesty.
"Did anyone see me-"
"Raven..." Murphy was blunt. "Most of the Grounders who have seen you, think that you had a vision quest in a Sauna Lodge and not drunk. Most of the alcohol that they smelled is from me dabbing some of the cooking stuff on your new tattoos."
"Thanks for covering for me."
Raven looked around for her sports-bra.
"Well, I might be a jerk at times, but I am loyal to my friends."
"Loyal?!"
"I'm trying to turn over a new leaf for my kid."
"Well, thanks for looking out from me." Raven stated as she stopped and leaned back on the couch.
"Well, do you want me to put some more Alcohol on your tattoos? I suggest a good sample of something called Chateau Picard." Raven raised her eyebrows at this as the sound of footsteps could be heard heading by.
Raven turned to see several Grounders walking by. Raven pulled the blanket closer around her. "I believe that it has a good robust smell to it. It has the scent of roses and peaches with just a hint of honey to it. If you are going to use alcohol to sooth your itchy skin. Might as well smell good." The Grounders grinned and nodded.
"My wife uses Honey Mead on her skin when she gets new tattoos." One of the male Grounders stated.
"Do you have Bourbon?" Raven stated.
This brought about a compensatory nod from the passing Grounders.
"Ah, in relation to trees and your Goddess." They grinned and passed out of the room. "Good choice."
Raven quickly turned her head back to Murphy.
"What was the Hell about!" Murphy just grinned.
"Well, some of us have been giving some of the Grounders a crash course on some of our cultural and social traditions."
Raven worried.
"Since you are going full Witch, might as well help keep the peace." The Murphy added. "Your bra is under your pillow. Emori put it there so it wouldn't get stolen." Raven reached under the pillow and found it.
"Murphy could you turn around!" Murphy did as Raven slipped it on. Then Raven got woozy as the fabric of her bra pulled close under her breasts. "Murrr phee."
"Crap... Luna told me that-"
Raven was out cold before he caught any else of what he said.
Sash moved to sit down on the large couch. The damn thing was nearly the size of a bed. Or more like it was being used as a bed. Considering that Raven of the Sky Clan was curled up on a section of it sleeping. There was a feeling that this great mage had chosen this spot due to it feeling like a home and the warmth of the hearth took way all worry of the day.
Sash didn't want to argue. After the events of the last few weeks and moons even a Wand-Wod like her needed some rest. Raven seemed to have needed the sleep the most after her recounting of her trails against the Red Witch.
That was when Sash's daughter moved.
It was getting close to the time for her feeding.
The large fluffy chair seemed like the best place to sit down and let her child take her fill.
Taking her child from the backpack from which she was being carried in; Sash sat down and took her daughter out.
Her little one, her so precious little one had been through so much. So close to death and-
Sash stopped that line of thought as she placed her daughter next to her and removed her top so her child could feed her little one from her breasts.
This is when the sleeping figure rustled some and looked at her.
"Go ahead." The woman spoke. Sash looked at the woman and relaxed some. "Guess the middle of the night feeding is universal." Sash nodded. The woman moved and pulled her blanket off to show that she was wearing some undergarments and placed the blanket over Sash's shoulders.
She looked to have some effort in moving as one leg seemed not to want to obey her orders. The one that bore the brace she needed to stand and move.
Sash nodded as she took the cover as a sign of understanding.
"Guess your head is still pounding from the liquid courage you downed while we were putting the tattoos on your skin."
Raven winced.
"I was conscious a while ago, but..."
"Passed out again when you tried to move too much."
"Yeah" Raven looked embarrassed.
"Happens to all of those who get their first tattoos. I was twelve winters old when I got my first markings."
"Twelve!"
"My sisters did the first ones after my first bleed."
"Oh." Raven looked worried. "Who did you have to hurt or-"
"My womanly bleed." Raven relaxed at those words. The fact that her clan's markings of fertility must have been a relief to the Skaikru mage.
"Oh, thank goodness." Raven must have thought that it was a sacrifice. "I thought you all did markings for your kills. I didn't know that the ones-."
"They are ceremonial." Sash looked at Raven's scar by her ribs. "You look like you were thrown into learning about our order by the deep end to swim." Sash had seen a scar under the arms of some of the Skaikru women.
"You are very complicated, but- I am getting the context." Raven reached over and stroked the cheek of the child with her dark fingers. A cultural understanding was being forged and understand between their two peoples.
"Thank you for saving my child." Sash stated.
"How?" Raven must have not known of the number of people she had saved, or if she did such a little one like her child's must have slipped through her fingers.
"You broke Alie's spell when one of her followers attempted to plunge a knife into my little one."
"It was Klarke, she pulled the switch that ended Alie. I just kept that bitch occupied." Raven winced as she started to look dizzy again. "I am just glad-" Raven leaned back to focus upon staying upright.
"Is it the ale you had earlier?" Raven motioned it wasn't with her hand.
"No... I had to fry part of my brain with a device I told my friends to build to break me free from Alie. My mentor Sinclare, he helped fashion it with parts my friends were able to salvage. I stopped breathing for a short time before Klarke was able to get me breathing again." Raven looked at the scars on her wrists. This wasn't alcohol related, this felt more like the damn chip messing with her head from the spell Raven had broken.
"Wanheda is a respected warrior as well as a healer."
The statement seemed to make Raven pull closer into a ball. Like Wanheda's placement in all of the lands of the Kru seemed to be placing the young woman into her shadow.
"Sora Kanic Wode." Raven looked at Sash.
"Klarke isn't able to save everyone."
"I know. Triss was my niece." The name echoed into the deep memories of the Skaikru woman's past.
"Oh. The girl who died from her injuries because of the device I forged and placed on that bridge to keep Anya from-" Raven showed guilt for creating the weapon that had caused Triss's fatal injuries.
"It was war. Death takes place during war. I do not hate you. You may have taken the life of one Triss, but you helped save this Triss." Sash rubbed the chin of her daughter who bore the name of her late niece.
Raven looked at the little girl and realized that Gods were making her atone for the blood she had split in their own way.
"I wish I could remember the events the ceremony that I was part of?"
"I will tell you."
Raven leaned back and started to listen to the young mother talk about the events that had taken place.
The coven gathered around Raven. Now given that some of these women were barely clothed sort of freaked her out. Raven thought that she had a good-looking body. But some of these women looked gorgeous.
Like drop your clothes and- well, orgy party hot.
Their damn Tattoos were like a living tapestry of power and strength.
Shit some of these girls would make Bree's naked ass look average.
These women were tone, hot, and made her baby abs look puny.
Luna sensed this and patted her on the shoulder.
"Do not Fret. You have a good body. If it is the nudity."
"I feel so average."
"You are not. This is to celebrate you. You did things that all of the Wand-Wod here couldn't do- aid in the slaying of a Demon that came to these lands."
"Klark did it. All I did was-"
"Weave the spells she needed to put her on the field of battle. That is far more than any of these individuals could do by themselves."
"I guess so."
Luna grinned.
"Sora, if you are nervous, then don't be. This is not blood. You are safe here. You are a sister to these women and they wish to thank you. Listen and if you want to leave, then I will help you leave."
"Okay."
But as Raven felt the ceremonial robe she was wearing dropped to the ground as the central fire flickered stronger with its waves of heat. Several torches were lit to increase the light in this enclosed site of surrounding sheet walls. The pillars that had been placed into the ground earlier that day, had long swaths of leather, linen, and hemp cloth looped and tied to them to provide some privacy to those within. Raven felt a pair of hands start to head for her leg brace. One of the older women stopped a younger member who was moments from undoing the straps. Raven fought with the woman with fear in her eyes. The ritual seemed to stop as the Woman motioned for Raven to adjust the straps back.
"I need this to stand." Raven blurted in scared.
Knowledge that Raven needed this device on her leg to stand was understood.
Seeing the young member of the group scolded made Raven concerned. But Luna spoke and the girl's punishment of harsh words was halted.
"It's not your fault, you didn't know that Raven needed this to keep her leg from buckling from under her."
Luna's words seemed to calm the young woman down. Maybe it was the fact that Raven understood the clear accidental mistake that the Elder seemed to approve of as Raven fixed the straps to her leg brace.
The ceremony elder motioned for a stool to be brought over so that Raven could sit down so that they could change her clothes.
Raven took off the brace, and then the dressing in the ceremonial garments began.
Raven was glad for the screens being put up, but standing here naked or semi-naked as they dressed and painted her body felt strange. Though considering that Clarke had gone through the same thing when she had become Wanheda, Ambassador of Skaikru, made her feel better.
Raven never realized that the details of this ceremony were so...
Beautiful.
A young girl about the age of five, maybe six was helping out with the dressing.
Fuck... This kid was cute as a button. She looked like a cross between a fairy and an angel.
"Sora... um... Skaikru..." the girl spoke in her native Tri. Some of it was cautious.
Some of the headdresses and garments looked to be scary as fuck. Others- looked regal and spiritual. Some–well, looked to be- uh- One of the coven members was topless except for a few necklaces and some body paint and tattoos.
That took guts or some serious shine in their system to do.
"Q'orianka." One of the Coven spoke as a dark-skinned woman with a skin tone close to her's and Luna's came up to her and knelt down to the child and spoke to her. Raven was still getting used to understanding the Grounder language, but thanks to Luna and her Daughter Adria she had enough of working knowledge of it to start to understand some of the questions coming about.
"Freya..." okay girl's name. "What do you want to talk to Bird of Sky Clan..." Raven's nickname, "about?" Raven was getting the gist of it. As Q'orianka translated the phrase to her, Raven used the experience to expand her knowledge of the Tree Language.
As Q'orianka translated the girl's phrase the girl's concern started to set in on why the child was here and her status among this Coven Raven herself was joining.
"Is she... powerful... I mean can she bring back the dead?" Raven's heart broke under those words. "I lost my mother and I really miss her."
"Tell her I cannot... That is not one of my powers. But I understand her loss. I lost a man who I called my father." Raven sensed that telling the girl the whole truth would have hurt. Q'orianka looked up at Raven and realized that though the young girl didn't understand what Raven had said, the meaning was clear and it-.
The girl hugged her.
Raven realized that understanding had been the thing that the girl was looking for. Not a return of her loved one. But a true understanding of the pain she was feeling. To make sense of it. To come to terms with it.
What was said next by the girl would be the reason and drive for Raven to learn the Grounder language. There were some things that just needed to be said in the native tongue of those who would call friends and family. That loss was universal and that the people whom were your true friend were going to be there to help you through the worse of it.
"She said that some spirits are meant to head to the next world so that they may watch over the living. If you have someone there maybe my mother and them are friends now." Q'orianka's translation hit home for Raven.
"I hope that she is friends with my mentor Sinclaire... he is the one who taught me all of the knowledge I have of machines and how they work. How they behave and what to do to make them better"
Q'orianka translated and the girl nodded.
The girl nodded.
"If machines are like beasts or plants, then the rules of making them grow, heal and tame them, like your flock of birds you can teach." Q'orianka translated as Freya pointed towards one of the drones.
Raven reached over and pulled out a tablet that she had modified so that it could talk to the drones.
"Yes." Raven tapped a few commands into her tablet and sent out a command to the drone hovering nearby. "Roma there, I am asking her to dance for you."
The Drone lowered itself down to about a good twenty feet and started to spin around then wobble then did a few flips. Then it started to mirror the girl when she started to jump. "Roma... Play with Freya for a little while and keep her out of trouble." The Drone bowed down in a pseudo nod before motioning Freya to follow her.
"Thanks for doing that Raven." Luna stated.
"It was a basic move command set I put in to make Alie's drones less scary when I took command of them. I am still working on some verbal commands, but I got some hand gestures loaded already."
"So, having Freya dance with Roma is..." Q'orianka looked at the young girl dance around.
"Well, a basic mirror system. Track, follow. Listen. She is teaching Roma more than Roma is teaching her." Raven watched as the two beings, One Flesh and the other Carbon Fiber play around.
Then Roma beeped.
"What was that?" Luna stated.
Raven reached for her tablet and saw what Roma was looking at.
"Oh..." Raven tapped a few commands and Roma beeped a different tone again before nodding. "Proximity alert." Then Raven called out. "THANKS JERRY. I'M GOOD!"
"OKAY RAVEN. LET US KNOW WHEN YOUR DOUBLE, DOUBLE, TOIL AND TROUBLE WITCHCRAFT IS DONE." A woman's voice called out from a distance.
"WILL DO."
Q'orianka and the rest of the Coven looked at her.
"Concerns from your people?"
"Yeah... Last time I was surrounded by this many Grounders, I was about to be executed for a crime I didn't commit." Raven pulled up her shirt to show the long scar along one of her ribs. "Clarke cleared my name before the cutting got any further." Raven got quiet. "The real criminal was found and..." Raven paused. "Lexa finished him."
The Coven nodded in understanding knowing of the incident.
"I heard the stories about the poisoning attempt. I had no idea that you were-"
"The serving girl. Yeah..." Raven did her best not to remember that day, but the Grounder Justice system was harsh as hell. Then Raven was moved over to a circle when Freya returned.
Roma was hovering nearby as the timer had run out and she had returned to guard mode. Faint beams from Roma's LIDAR system could be seen through the smoke. "What are those..." Luna looked at the source of the beams.
"LIDAR beams. The drones use them for measuring distance from the ground as well seeing things in the dark."
"Roma is watching us?"
"Yes, but I feel better knowing she is doing so." One of the Coven who was wearing nothing but a loincloth and body paint looked concerned. "I can ask her to go higher up to make you feel better."
The woman nodded.
Raven took her tablet and let Roma rise up some more, but stay in LIDAR scan range. Then Raven saw something in the distance move in the image. It looked to be a... crib. Baby... Raven tapped the image system a few times and the history played back. The topless woman was a mother and- had been nursing her child. The nudity wasn't ritual based, but Maternity based.
"Roma comments that you have a beautiful baby and she will keep an eye on your little one during the ceremony."
"Oh..." the woman covered herself sensing that the ritual of the Coven was being observed by an outsider.
"And not the only pair of breasts she has seen today. Though... she did get an eyeful of some guy urinating with a huge..." Raven cleared her throat because there was a child present.
"Oh..." The realization of what Raven had hinted at made her blush some and relax some. Several of the women realized what she was speaking of and there were a few wistful nods as a result.
The young mother sensed that Raven was doing her best to keep her people calm while attempting to participate in this ritual to her fullest ability. The Drones were a compromise on Raven's behalf so that she could participate safely without someone trying to attack or assault her.
That was when Luna handed Raven a bottle of some ale was in it.
"Here drink- you need to relax some."
Raven sniffed the bottle.
The stuff smelled like honey candles that Niylah had her trading post and various types of fruit.
She took a hard swig.
Then she coughed.
Shit- this stuff had a kick.
The taste was still there- but damn it was good.
"You should sip it." Luna stated.
Raven nodded and sipped at it and she started to enjoy the taste of the drink.
Some of the witches around her had started to dress in some simple dresses that were covered in very elaborate robes. But it was the headgear that caught her attention and that she had remembered the incident from earlier with Wick.
Her joking around and her version of this costume literally had scared the shit out of the Grounders that she had passed when she had been in Arcadia. Now seeing some of these costumes before her, it was like the primal elements were being channeled through them.
Some of the women were topless, while others were dressed normally.
Raven raised a hand and spoke up.
"Why are some of you topless?" One of topless women came over and looked at her. "I usually wear a top, but given the length of the ceremony and the heat, I am not wearing it. Also-" The woman squeezed her breast and milk came from it. "I am feeding my young daughter and the ceremony will go on for some time." The woman moved over to a satchel that had been brought into this looped off zone around the fire and presented a serious looking hardened garment. The garment was more armor than a loose fabric top. It might look good in a fight or some causal event. But given the woman's breasts were leaking like a damn sprinkler head from Garden Station and the baby looked hungry. It made sense.
"Guess, that taking that thing off to feed your kid is a pain."
"It is." The woman commented as Raven took note of the two crescents and circle on her forehead. It took a moment for Raven to realize that these were representative of the phases of the moon. Raven wondered what the rest of the symbols meant. But seeing the line of tattoos down the woman's back stated that this woman had killed many in her role in society.
Raven took a swig from the bottle and this time, much more slowly it started to taste seriously good.
That was when one of the women looked at her knee.
"Do your people know of the art of healing tattooing?"
Raven shook her head.
"Well, can you discuss the discomfort you are having? Given that the brace you are using is more for support and weight I guess that you have pain around the joint and after strenuous tasks your leg become exhausted."
Raven nodded.
The woman motioned for Raven to remove the brace and roll up her pants leg.
"Abby, our healer has looked at and-" Raven was removing her damn pants for this woman and she should be complaining about it- but- this woman was gentler. Like she knew what was wrong and was understanding.
"Did the best she could with her medicine to treat the wound." Raven felt the woman's fingers move across the injured area. She sighed. "You will need to keep the brace but, I know it is the pain receptors in your leg that are hurting. Drugs and the knife have their limits. Cutting on the flesh only goes so far before the resewing brings about nothing but more problems." That was when she thumped Raven on the knee with her finger.
"Hey." Then the woman raised her hand. Raven realized that the reaction was what the woman was looking for.
"I have seen this injury too often, but also your friend has a farmer's hand in removing the damage. I see what is wrong." Raven watched as the woman took out a strange stick that had a rake section on the front of it and she inverted it so that the teeth were facing upward. "Let me do this for a moment and tell me what you feel after I am done."
Raven nodded, and the woman moved and tapped along a path of her leg.
Her leg started to sting some, but after a moment it didn't hurt.
The pattern repeated several times as the woman moved the instrument in a pattern along Raven's leg.
Other than the reaction of being hit- the blows were almost- soothing.
Raven reached out and rubbed the spots.
Her leg wasn't hurting.
"How?"
"Not all pain can be treated with the blade or with potions. Sometimes you have to know where the pain lays and knock it out."
This witch doctor had done in moments what Abby hadn't been able to do in months.
"My family were healers before the Great Fire came across the land. They learned how to weave what worked and did what they did to fix up warriors from the old times. The Reeds of the Waters had been known for that, I am just one of their student's."
"So, you know how to fix what is wrong."
"Before the Great Fire There was experimenting on the use of tattoos, or actually where they were applied and their depth to treat pain."
"Does it work?" Raven looked worried.
"Well, the initial taps state the reaction. I can use the ink of ferromagnetic to have it work better."
Raven realized that though this was folk medicine, Abby had been learning from her counterparts during this time to expand her knowledge of medical treatments.
"You do not need to rush." The healer stated as she watched as the woman moved and inverted the rake looking instrument.
"Sora..." Luna moved over as she donned her mask. The bone structure looked to almost like a bird, but there were teeth. The damn thing looked scary as hell. But there was a soft gray leather bulb that was covering the ends of the skull that sleeked over the back of it. "Do not worry, most of the markings will be given at your request, but-" Luna handed back Raven' her pants. "Most of this ceremony is you being welcomed and the others here will tell of their battles with Alie."
"Oh-." Raven realized as she leaned back to pull her pants on. She listened as the first of the songs that were being sung about the Heda.
Clarke's name wasn't mentioned, but this seemed to be more of a history of the ages of the past.
Names like Calliope, Bekka, Winston, Nameless, Merlin, Zantanna, Halo, Laufey and others flowed into the song. A few of the names she recognized from talking with Luna, but the others- sounded like they were from different clans. Raven listened along as aspects of these mighty members of the Wand-Wod were recited out for her.
The battle to keep what knowledge there was from fading away had been quite an epic battle for these women had wanted to share their stories with her. But one that Raven understood was a vital part of their society.
Raven sat back as she watched the ceremony begin.
Most of the chanting being done was to honor those warriors, healers and caregivers of the times before.
Abby would have loved to hear some of this stuff.
Some songs of strength and compassion were given.
Prayers to the ancestors.
When asked Raven Prayed for Sinclair.
When Luna asked about Sinclair, Raven told her story about her mentor and father figure.
Then Raven revealed that her birth mother was a night porter.
There wasn't a look of shock, but understanding as another of the group stated that she too was a child of a night porter.
Sinclair was Raven's rock of stability and strength.
Becoming a Kanic was a way for her to gain a standing on her terms.
She devoured knowledge; she sought challenges.
Sinclair showed her the love she so needed.
That was when they painted Raven's face in some soot under her eyes.
Raven felt nervous, but Luna had brought a small mirror with her and let Raven watch.
Instead of the heavy war paint, the makeup applied to her felt soft. Gentle. Almost sensual in its application.
Bastardized words like Mechanic, Programmer, Engineer, Chemist, Midwife, Biologist and a few other fields that were far outside her realm of knowledge were all used to help rebuild this world.
But for the most part these women were the keepers of the history of the time before.
Alie had stolen so much of that knowledge and horded it like a greedy child. Now because of Raven, these women and their order were getting it back. Returning it to the world.
That Raven had seen other Grounders do, this felt less heavy and more. Well, this felt nice given the situation that happened back at Arkadia with Wick and that Grounder. Someone of some serious status.
Raven took another sip from the bottle and leaned back and listened as the language shifted from Trig to that of being English.
Touching her knee, and realizing that Abby had been right. She needed to change her view on things. Maybe the Reed Water woman might be able to sooth that damn pain in her leg.
But before then, she needed a bit more liquid courage to do so.
"Reed… Let's do the thing you were talking to me about. But let's wait until I have enough liquid courage in me before you go give me a tattoo."
Raven wouldn't know how many tattoos she would have after this stuff tasted a little watered down but not in a bad way.
"Sora, you like?" Raven nodded as noticed that Freya was drinking it too.
"What is it? It tastes a little different."
"Mellon wine, low fermented wine with Mellon juice."
"Tastes good." Raven saw the little girl drinking it and not getting sick. "Guess that it is kid friendly given how Freya is sucking it down."
"Most of the alcohol is burned off to purify the juice prior to it being drunk."
"Smart move if you are going to be serving it to children."
"It is." Raven sat back and listened to the stories go forth.
Raven wasn't the only one who had battled Alie.
Many of this coven were battle hardened in their fight to force out Alie's command over their family's mind.
Several bore scars of where they fought loved one's down.
Others, like Freya had lost family in their fight.
Raven- told of her battle to break free.
The instructions she had given her friends to the process to free her from Alie's grip.
Raven showed the injuries to her wrist where she had tried to wrench her arm out of its socket from where she had been tied down. The healing knife wounds of where she had slit her wrists while possessed by Alie.
Raven opened up about that too.
Telling some of what Alie had put Abby through to save her life became easier.
Raven took a long slug of not Mellon Wine.
Raven pulled up her shirt to show the scar on her side from the time she had been framed for a poisoning attempt during the alliance meeting between Trikru and the Arkers.
She spoke and took another swig.
Raven spoke more as the pain faded then she bit the preferable bullet and stated that if her knee was better that she wouldn't fall to that type of manipulation.
Luna moved to kiss her and Raven felt tapping in her skin.
Raven leaned back on the couch and realized that her tattoos were now her badge of honor along with her scars.
She was now one of the Wand-Wod. Like the young mother next to her who was breastfeeding her child. Raven wondered if her inclusion into this group was so that she could teach them her magic. The magic of computer coding and machinery.
Looking over at the nearby table, Raven saw the mask and headpiece that Luna had made for her.
The Bird Mask that Raven had used to prank Wick before coming here now took on a new significance for her. It was now a symbol of her newfound place and status of honor in the Grounder culture.
Raven moved and reached over and picked it up.
The metal beak needed to be recolored and some real feathers added, but… Yeah… it was hollow enough to put a vision HUD in. Some batteries, maybe a few slim solar panels to power a five-volt computer.
Yeah…
Put in a mind drive rig and slim computing module, and LIDAR for an imaging system.
Yeah… Go Grounder, but keep her Zero-G mechanic gear.
This could be her.
Raven Reyes Sora Kanic Wode.
A bit long; but shit most of that was a damn title.
Raven Sora Reyes.
That sounded like a good name.
It wasn't Wanheda or Skairippia. But it had the right weight for her.
Raven put the headpiece on and it felt nice.
Yeah, bird feathers. Black or dark brown bird feathers to go with the way she combed her hair.
Raven looked at the adorable baby and realized that she had given little one a future. Now all she had to do was make sure the kid got there.
Clarke was setting up the medical bay on Bekka's island. There was a lot of work that needed to be done.
Clarke would be leaving on the next boat trip so she could get back to Arkadia so that she could be there to treat Bellamy and Echo's shock lash wounds.
It sickened her, but it needed to be done to placate the families of the Clans that Bellamy and Echo killed.
But now Clarke was worried that she couldn't save him from his own passionate heart. That was his strength and his weakness.
Something that Echo and Nia had preyed upon.
Mostly Nia. Echo had been the pawn in the entire mess so that she could get her sister back.
Now as she counted out the number of bandages, gauze, tubes of adhesive seal to place into the drawers along with tubules of concentrated Blue Wort for radiation poisoning. She looked up at the quick guides that she had drawn in order to help those who couldn't read come to the aid of those who were sick.
Symbols were made and constructed for identifying types of sickness that she had been able to learn about from her mother as well the text in Polis while she was living with Lexa. There was a text that Lexa had that covered the types of diseases that the native peoples of this land had once encountered. This group of individuals had to create a quick way to illustrate disease symptoms and ways to treat them.
Most of the images had a set of glyphs that were based on several traditional bits of Grounder lore. The pictures only covered a handful of diseases, but it was enough to give an amateur enough knowledge to stabilize someone who was ill.
Clarke hope that they would never be used- but whenever was that the case when she had been on the ground.
Clarke sighed as she took more inventory and realized that she needed to get a few more blankets that was when a red-headed warrior stuck her head in. She looked to be in her mid-teens.
Clarke noted this girl was strong, and youthful. The shifting of her body weight stated that she was weighing her decision to speak.
Clarke sighed noting that it was her status of Wanheda that was making the young warrior concerned. Then Clarke grinned and motioned the young woman in.
"Wanheda?"
"Call me Clarke." Clarke grinned.
"Oh- okay…" the woman stated as she realized that the feared Commander of Death wanted to talk with her. "I am Aloy of Delphi."
"So, I saw you were with the warriors that came here to guard the island. What do you think of the place?"
The young woman shrugged.
"I don't know- I see why Alie used this place as her fortress. But the housing here feels like what I heard the City of Light described as." Aloy noted the illustrations on the wall and looked at the setup of the room. "You are setting up this place as a center of healing and medicine!" She processed as what this room was. "This is a healer's room!"
" It is and I am setting it up." Clarke responded as she moved a box with supplies onto the medical bed. "You can help me in the setup."
The young warrior looked concerned, but realizing that Clarke wanted her to help in the preparations of this place put her at ease.
"So... The stories about you being trained as a healer... That is true- correct?"
"It is... Though when I lost Lexa." Clarke was doing her best to process the scene of that day. Murphy had been there helping her through the worse of it. He knew the truth that Clarke had loved Lexa.
Was married to Lexa.
That Lexa was her wife.
And Clarke's her's.
"Lexa's injury was through her diaphragm. In the place that controls your breathing. Titius was aiming at me with a gun that he had gotten a hold of and Lexa... She..."
Clarke stopped and.
"The other story is true... You and the Commander- Commander Lexa were-."
"I loved her... All my power, my title and I couldn't save the woman I loved. But I am damn to hell not going to let the people and the world she built fall into ruin." Clarke gritted her teeth trying to hold back her anger at the needless loss of innocence and those she gave a damn about. "Alie... The forces of Death... I am going to fell every last one of them or make sure they stay away from all that I care about and love. Even the things that Lexa loved and was charged with protecting."
"Then the ritual here is to-" The warrior sensed that Clarke was going to do something of great horror to put Death and those who followed it under her control.
"Ensure Alie's enteral punishment sticks. But also-."
Clarke walked over to the plaque of the Hippocratic Oath on the wall. She placed her hand upon it. "I swear by Apollo Healer, by Asclepius, by Hygieia, by Panacea, and by all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will carry out, according to my ability and judgment, this oath and this indenture." Clarke did her best to work out the next part of the oath, but the young warrior understood the meaning of what the Commander of Death had pledged herself to.
"A fealty to the Gods..." Aloy blinked a few times. "A warning to those who wished harm to the People Lexa lead that they have a protector. That they took the love from a warrior who may smite them if they wage war upon Humanity."
"I know I will see Lexa in the Next World. But now... I serve-"
"You are prepping this place for war against beings of Death, to treat the wounded and sick for if and when they come."
"It is not if they will come, but the when." Clarke clarified. Images of young Triss, Charlotte, Aiden and the rest of the Nightbloods came into her thoughts from the deepest places of her memories.
"Understood."
Aloy looked at the contents of the box that Clarke had placed on the bed.
"I need to put some more of the items up before I start looking for some blankets."
"I will help you." Aloy moved and picked up a jar full of organic rubber tourniquets that had come from the Southern lands of the Coalition. The use of natural rubber trees in that area would be of great use in the advancing of medical hygiene over the next few years once this mess Alie had left had passed.
"Thanks." Clarke turned and took the jar from the young woman.
Well, Clarke was going to a little more at ease knowing that this medical bay was going to be up to snuff before she left.
Now the hard work now began.
"So Aloy, tell me a little about your people and the lands they are from."
Clarke saw something in this young woman as they spoke. Something that told her that Aloy would be one of the people that would become a great leader after this.
Ilian was sitting before the forge that he had crafted for the task at hand. Various warrior stood guard as the various buckets and baskets and boxes of metal and plastic fragments and wires had been brought out.
Raven had dismantled the main cases in which Alie had woven her magical self into. Each would need to be destroyed in accordance to the rituals she had established to ensure that The Red Witch could not be resurrected.
Now each of the Coven were doing as instructed with strange wand rods to either take a paste to draw out the metal from some fragments in a process called de-soldering. While others were charged with running the strange disks through a device made up of woven wire. There had been a line of consecrated salt, and dirt dug into a radius around it.
The reason for this barrier became prevalent when a warrior crossed the marked area and had all of his knives and his very sword torn from his body along with his pants. That they were sticking onto the ring showed the strength of the magnet.
Raven rolled her eyes as she moved over and pulled a lever down and made the weapons release from her creation. That she was walking around with a pair of wooden crutches stated she didn't want to lose her leg brace pointed to the power of this device.
Most of the task went through most of the day and until dawn the following morning.
Then with the metal cleansed, many who had lost family to Alie brought their fragments of bones of their loved ones to place into the forge chalice that Ilian had constructed for this purpose before the first of the metal was placed in.
With the lighting of the forge by the Wand-Wods and their chanting taking place Ilain's work began as he got the charcoal and bellow going to get the heat high enough for the melting of the cursed metal to take place.
As the crackle of the forge went for the next few hours, the peace of the fire soothed his soul. Then Ilian moved to start the next set of forges that he had crafted to repeat the process.
Each forge moved with the heat, and work that was needed to maintain them.
Warriors came and sat and watched.
They talked.
They listened.
Ilian wasn't alone.
Then with the first of the forges ready for the metal to be extracted Ilain moved along with several warriors to open the forge.
No cursed wail of sprits. Just extracted steaming metal.
Taking the pair of tongs, the metal ingot was taken out and with a hammer, the metal was pounded, heated and pounded more. Heated again and as the cursed metal of Alie's cursed prison took shape.
Alie tried to destroy the world. Her punishment and curse would be that the very prison that Bekka Pramheda had imprisoned her in would be reforged into the tools that would rebuild it. Each tool would represent the people whom she had attempted to wipe out.
The first item that Ilain made was a fishing trident to give to Luna of the Floukru, a clan that Alie had taken quite fervor in decimating.
The tool wouldn't see the sea for some time, but the peace that it brought Luna made Ilian understand why Flamekeeper Murphy had chosen him for this task.
A few hours later, an axe was forged for the Trikru.
An axe that would cut down trees that would rebuild the homes that Alie had set fire to.
Later, a plow for the Shallow Valley, to sow crops to feed those yet to be born.
A pick axe for the Rockline. A tool to help mount and attach the structures of their cliff-side villages.
A horse's bit for the Plains Riders. To be used by the various steeds that would aid in the transport of livestock out of the danger zone of the storms she had summoned.
A Hammer for Delphi. Their forges would be needed for the tools all would need in the years to come.
A wrench for the Skaikru, Raven had decided that it was the most common tool of her people and would keep their mighty vessel together through the long winter to come.
A Scythe for the Broadleaf Clan, to harvest crops alongside its brother of the Shallow Valley.
A Saw for the Glowing Forest to be used to cut the timber for their river vessels.
A Fishing net weight for the Ice Nation, to get fish during their time of the northern frosts.
A Waldorph rope weave paddle for the Desert Clan so that they could wave and tie goods together along their coastal trade routes.
A shovel for the Blue Cliff so that they could harvest coal and care for the tunnels that would be used as shelter.
A boat rudder for the Lake People so that they could travel along the great lakes of the north.
After the last item was forged, Ilian sat down and felt at peace and sensed that his mother's spirit was at rest.
Off in the distance the clouds were gathering.
The Long Winter was coming, but now… Now he could mourn his family.
"There is going to be a good shrimp harvest after this storm." Luna spoke. "But the shore is going to be taking a beating."
"How do you know?"
"Murphy gave me a book that was written by the first Flamekeeper. It was written before the corruption moved through the order." she paused. "She was a Nightblood like myself. She wrote a lot about the time after the Praimfaya storms had passed and the destruction that they had wrought. Despite all the damage, she saw life surviving by breaking through the broken stone, wood, glass, metal, and plastic that littered the shore." Luna paused. "She said that it was like walking through a forest that had experienced a Forrest fire. That there had been a thinning of the unnecessary brush so that the land could grow healthy again. Yes, there would be dead, but also new life returning to the land.". Luna paused before she continued with her next few words. "You were a farmer before this correct?"
"I was before I became a murder of my own family."
"I was just a mere leader of a fishing village who was forced to kill my husband because of this occurs at which. But, I was something else before those years. I too was a murderer of my own brother during the last conclave that brought Heda Lexa to power. Now, I feel that those experiences that I endured during those times are the lessons that I need to give others so that they may come through the darkness like I did."
Now this had Ilian's attention as that he's own pain, his own suffering that he had endured was not just his own burden to bear. That's a very guilt that he was now bearing. His own emotional suffering that he now bore within his own heart others also felt that too.
"So,"
"Wanheda has asked that a command one of the shelters. And Murphy feels that you should join me."
"Why?" Ilian wondered what he had done to earn this sympathy.
"Because despite all the wrongs that you have done, you are a good person trying to do some good. As he said Ilian is trying to unmake the one ring to rule them all all by himself. This is not some solo quest he is on. It is a journey where he needs allies and friends not just to face down the physical challenges but the spiritual ones as well."
"The one ring to rule them all!" Ilian didn't know the reference in relation to Skaikru culture but if it was part of the story that made sense. "Like wishing that I never took that damn chip in the first place!"
Luna sat down by him.
"Or I refusing Wanheda when she said that there was danger searching me out." Luna looked out at the water and cried. "I lost so many of my kru thinking that we would always be safe. Alie showed me otherwise. If evil thinks that you are a threat. It will come after you damn the consequences."
"How many?" Ilian looked concerned.
"There are thirteen of my village left out of one hundred and Twenty-five souls." She let her guard down. "Alie possessed the man I loved and I was forced to kill him with my bare hands."
"So… The Flamekeeper wants me to go with you so that-"
"We can both grieve and make some peace."
"I am just a farmer and blacksmith."
"I used to be a woman who fished and tended to nets."
"I just go by the name Murphy. I didn't ask for the damn title." Murphy of Skaikru approached. "That damn thing got lobbed onto my by that Asshole Titus before he slit his own damn neck with Ontari's knife. Even then I had to play the part to keep the government stable." He moved over to a rock and sat down. "So… I saw some of the work that you did for the toolbox." He looked over at the water. "The last time I was here, I was being dragged by Jaha right after he got possessed by Alie. Had I known how much mess that electric photonic bitch was going to do, I would have drowned the box she was using as her damn lamp to get around in." Then Murphy picked up a stone and tossed it into the water. "For all I knew, Jaha might have made Alie's damn lamp waterproof." He sighed. "I am glad that Raven repurposed the damn thing's power system she was using as her food source to power the Bunker Ontari and Bekka found."
"Then her Heart." Ilian looked at him.
"Will be used to save the lives of those she wished to kill." He sighed. "A very fitting punishment. You already trapped her spirit in those tools. So… That is one mess out of the way."
"But the storms-"
"Storms pass." Luna stated. "I lived on the sea. They might be hard, and harsh, but they do pass. The objective is to weather it long enough to get through it."
"Well, the storm is coming, and I am going to make sure that the woman I love and the kid we are having get through it."
"I have nothing." Ilian spoke as several witches approached.
"Blacksmith." One of the women of the coven was holding a child. "Thank you for helping with the smelting of the cursed metal." Ilian saw that there was hope in these people's eyes.
"All I did was pound metal into what needed to be made."
"No… We heard about what happened with your family. You did this so that your family's spirits could rest in peace. That you were able to send the one who had harmed those whom you loved to the other side so that they could be tried and imprisoned by them."
"I slew my-" One of the coven approached and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You were cursed. Cursed with an ancient magic that No One. Little more than someone who knew what it was could fight it." Then what was said hit home. "There are some evils that force one to become a monster. All that we can do is hope that they can heal from the experience."
"I don't know if I can become a person again. I feel too much like a beast that took pleasure in my actions." Ilian started to cry.
"Beasts are neither good nor evil. They are driven by desires and needs. You, are so much like the Reapers that Wanheda freed from the Mountkru. They were once seen as the monsters of these lands. Now, from the ones I have seen they are fairly remorseful for the things they did in their enslaved state. But they know that they have to move on and make things right through the actions that they take now. You have the same path before you."
"Hey, Luna is giving you a way to make some peace with yourself." The Flamekeeper stated. "I think she knows more than you think about the self-loathing part."
"He is correct About that." Luna stated, as she looked at the young man before her. There was something that she was holding back. But whatever it was, it seemed that the darkness that Ilian had was shared by this leader of the Floukru.
"You didn't torture and kill the members of your family." Ilian stated. This is when Luna reached out and took Ilian's hand.
"I did." The woman stated. There was a weight in her eyes. The same type that he had when he looked in the mirror or saw his reflection in any surface. "I know what it is like to take the life of a family member." Alie had her way of forcing me to kill the man I love so I could save my daughter." Then she spoke, "I have taken two, first my brother Gaius which I had taken during the Conclave that brought Heda Lexa to power..." paused as she took a deep breath. It was the next few moments showed the pure pain that Alie had put Luna through. The licking of the Lips and the swallowing showed the weight of the painthey had been holding onto as a great burden that they felt that had to hold on to.
Murphy was watching this mess that Luna was doing her best to save this young man. Now seeing this, it was the same thing that Charlotte did after she killed Welles.
At least with Clarke when she lost Lexa, he had just been there as a friend how had lost the person they had loved.
It was an image that he was seeing more and more.
He hadn't been able to save that little girl. But her death made him more aware of the mental health of people with trauma like her's.
Then Luna broke as her hands started to shake.
Then
"The other was the man I loved." Shit.
This was a Hell that only Alie could cook up.
Murphy had heard the stories of the type of bad ass that Lexa had been but to see this. Fuck, it was Charlotte all over again, but this time it was minus the damn noose around his neck.
Murphy moved over and hugged the woman.
"Murphy- I-." Luna's saltwater scent melted into the salt of her tears.
"Clarke was a mess after she lost Lexa. She was still a newlywed and Lexa was her wife and her life. The only thing that has been keeping her going is the saving of Lexa's legacy of the alliances she had made."
"So-." Luna was sniffing back snot, but was accepting the information. "I am-."
"Luna, I know about Raven." Murphy stated as he looked around at the woman before him and the others near the shore.
He sighed.
"Alie took so much from you and I saw how you acted around her when she had that seizure. You were a wreck. I saw the same thing with Clarke after Lexa died. For you, you had the chance to see her recover. I don't know the details, but it made you stronger seeing that there is a life after this mess." Then Murphy pointed towards Ilian. "I see the same eyes of the ones who have been hurt and who have hurt. You see this as a chance to rebuild and start anew. You have seen the shit of rigged Conclaves, behavioral manipulation, war, conflict, violence of types that I cannot speak of because there children present. Damn it, you and him need each other. You want to help heal the damage and he is at a loss of what he can do to put things right."
Murphy didn't like the way that Luna was looking, but it looked like the dam was about to break on her emotions.
"I killed Derek with my bare hands as he was moments away from-."
Ilian reached out.
Jasper had told him a bit of the mess with Luna, but the part about having to kill the man she loved to save her child... That was a personal hell that no one should experience, but for those who did... All you could do was give them compassion, time and listen to the pain be scared over so they body of the soul could heal.
"I was him. I was that monster who didn't feel anything before Wanheda broke Alie's control over me. The unspeakable things I did to my mother to take that cursed chip."
"No joke- Raven and Emori still have nightmares of their time under that Bitch's control." Murphy stated. "All we can do is be there for those who when through this crap." Ilian leaned back and heard the sound of the storms. Everyone sensed that Murphy's role as Flamekeeper was more than ceremonial, it was something that some force from beyond and had a hand in him getting the position and cleaning up the mess that his predecessors had made of once an honorable order.
"Then what do we do now?" Ilian sighed.
"I guess the only thing we can do now is survive this damn storm and show that damn red dress wearing bitch she was wrong about humanity. That Clarke was right, we have challenges before us, some of our own making, others caused by the bad influence of others. But we have to keep living and keep surviving another day so that we can make a difference in this stinking world, or what is the point, roll up and die. I am to be a father. If I give up, my kid is going to die. I don't like losing. If I am going to lose, it is going to be on my terms and no one else's."
These words those words hit a cord with those around him.
"So, rise from the ashes." Luna stated.
"We got knocked down. Let's get the fuck back up. That the option I'm going with because I am too damn stubborn to die now."
"you got beat up a lot when you were younger didn't you?" Ilian stated.
"How do you think I got sent down with Clarke and the others."
This earned him a nod of understanding from the Ilian and the rest of the witches' present.
"So, work with Luna. Help save the lives of those in need as an act of penance for my crimes."
"Yeah, that sums it up. There is going to be a lot of work that needs to get bunkers like Greenbriar up to snuff. She was built without the computers that Alie needed to survive in and with the knowledge of the ancestors of the Floukru."
"So basically, redeem myself, help people, not kill myself in the progress."
"Yes. So, listen to Luna and go with her. She will need a lot of help over the next few days."
This brought about a long deep sigh from the young man.
"Fuck it. I don't have anything better to do. If I die, then I die, If I live. Then fuck it."
"You know that there were children present when you said that."
"I don't care. After the weeks that I have had. How colorful my Language is highly optional, and I just don't care. I am just to tired here."
"You are not the only one my brother."
"No shit."
Chapter End Notes
To be continued.