Ride the Fury
Chapter Two – Live to Die
Her mouth was forced open and a gag shoved in, quieting her screams, and black bag then came up and was secured around her head, blocking out sound and sight. Her hands were forced behind her back and strapped tight. Tempest almost couldn't breathe through the thick black fabric of the bag, or around the musty smelling gag. Her heart was in her throat and it was beating so loudly it was the only sound in her ears.
Rough hands gripped her shoulders and pushed her along. Her mind was unravelling quickly, the words of her sister just minutes ago echoed and she cursed herself for trusting so easily. She had been called down to the pits so many times to check on War Boys who had injured themselves when training that it was almost habit to collect her bag and follow a Servitude down.
She stumbled a few steps when she was pushed a little too hard and almost fell, she pressed her shoulder against the stone wall and righted herself, she tried to shy away from the heavy hand that landed on her shoulder again, but they gripped her hard and pushed her to move quicker.
Tempest tried to calm her breathing and closed her eyes to better think. She was still inside The Citadel and they would have to move her to where Gas Town vehicles were being kept in order to smuggle her out. That meant that she had a chance to get help before then, if only she could work out where she was.
She knew that if she missed this opportunity to save herself that she would not get another chance and be lost to her sister. Furiosa may be one of the strongest of their War Party Leaders from the Citadel, but she was not given free range to visit the different levels and compounds within Gas Town.
Tempest took a deep breath and centered her mind. Most doors in the bottom levels of the citadel were open for ventilation, the Pits were at the bottom of a long staircase, but she had walked past both the Shop and the Gun Shed where there were plenty of War Boys.
She knew that she should be able to hear when they went past the Gun Shed, and that would let her know how close she was to the Shop. Tempest knew it was a gamble, she could try for the Gun Shed but if she lost that chance they were likely to knock her out and she didn't know how close she was to it. Slowing down her breathing she found that she was able to pick up sounds through the thick black bag around her head, she tilted her head to the side to catch the sounds and realised that they were coming close to the Gun Shed.
The second Man Eater grabbed her other shoulder and she was now stuck in between the two strong men from Gas Town. They marched her past the loud noises from the Gun Shed and Tempest started counting her steps. She had to time it precisely and the doorway would be on her left, she needed to clear the two Gas Town men otherwise it would be an effort in futility as the Shop was the loudest place in the Citadel. Careful not to tense her body to alert the two men with her she continued her countdown in her mind, careful of her steps.
Three….two….one Tempest threw her weight right and then left, ducked her head and twisted sharply bring her elbows up and out as high as she could go, he dislodged one hand but not the one on the left which was the man she needed to get away from the most. Heart pounding in her chest with adrenaline and fear she kicked out at the man's legs and rammed her head into his chin, she felt the man's teeth click and pain exploded in her skull. With a skip away from her two captures she ran towards the sounds of the Shop, hoping to get the attention of the War Boys and get help. She hit the frame of the door and almost bounced off, a hand grabbed her arm and she wrenched herself backwards and away from the Man Eaters and fell into the Shop. Tempest scrambled backwards, her tied hands hindering her and she rolled backwards trying to get her feet under her. The hands were back on her arms, bruising and unyielding.
She was surprised when a hand slapped across her bag covered face, forcing her head to the side and cutting her lip open. She couldn't breathe through the gag and panic was creeping in on her again, she couldn't go with them. Screaming through the gag she kicked and bucked, trying to get away. She was hit two more times, heavy on her head and her eyes flickered and she blacked out.
It must have been only seconds that she wasn't aware, since the bag was gone and Gartek was crouched over her, pulling the gag from her mouth and checking her eyes. Behind Gartek three War Boys were clubbing the Man Eaters to death, blood and brain matter sprayed upwards as a Black Cap hefted a heavy wrench back, one of the Man Eaters head caved in.
Tempest gulped in air, her eyes riveted to the violence while Gartek continued to try and talk with her, he was massaging her wrists which were now free from their ties. The War Boy Black Cap yelled a battle cry and swung his wrench at the still living Man Eater in his chest, the crunch of bones and the way the man's body crumpled signalled his death as well.
"Tempest Serene, are you aware?" She snapped her eyes away from the War Boys and the blood, back to Gartek and took a deep breath, her face ached and she felt funny.
"Yes, I-"
"-Tempest Serene." The shout was loud and startling, she was also grabbed around the base of her skull by large pale hands and her face tilted back to look into the startling blue eyes of Nux. Blood was splattered in a pattern across his bone white face, his healing lips were split wide as he stared at her with dilated eyes. "What a glorious battle." He complimented and tugged her head closer to his own to stare straight into her grey eyes.
Tempests heart pumped hard in her chest and her breathing hitched in her throat as she looked helplessly up at him, her mind blank.
"I…" her voice trailed off and she became light headed again.
"Step back Nux, give her breath." Gartek the keeper pushed at the War Boy and Nux released her and stepped away, his blue eyes watching her closely as his chest heaved with his breath. The two other War Boys who had helped him were going through the pockets of the Man Eaters, pilfering their weapons and ropes.
She looked away into the Shop to see more War Boys, weapons and wrenches hefted in hands, their eyes sharp as they watched the scene before them, ready to move if more Man Eaters followed the two already dead.
"Can you walk Tempest Serene?" Gartek asked, his hands still massaging her wrists to help the blood recirculate and to calm her down. She nodded and allowed Gartek to pull her to her feet, she swayed as the blood rushed away from her head and almost blacked out again. She was caught by both Gartek and Nux and they walked her from the Shop, over the bodies of the dead Man Eaters and out into the corridor beyond.
"I think I need to be fixed." Tempest said unsteadily, her head felt like mush and her vision was greying around the edges. She missed the exchange of glances that Gartek and Nux exchanged. They gripped her upper arms gently and walked her slowly toward the Workshop to get help from Organic Mechanic.
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Nux and Gartek left her once they were sure that Organic Mechanic had looked her over and said she would be fine. Nux sat her down next to Volt one of the youngest from his War Party who was receiving a Blood Bag. The War Boy was given strict words on keeping Tempest with him the rest of the day. Organic Mechanic said he would escort her back to her sleep room at the end of the day.
"You're my underhand." Organic Mechanic had stated and then left the girl sitting next to a War Boy to continue his experiments. Tempest watched the man as he moved about the Workshop for a while before turning to the War Boy next to her.
"You are a part of Nux's War Party?" although she knew the answer she still felt a little awkward sitting next to a War Boy she had only met twice before. The boy had less markings on his chest compared to the others in his War Party and his shakes and light sensitive eyes were easier to notice.
"Yes, we are most victorious in our plunder." Volt said happily, his dark eyes were wide with excitement. He then proceeded to tell stories of his War Parties victories with great enthusiasm. The three other War Boys around them shared their own stories and Tempest felt her body slowly relax and the feeling of safety return to her.
She must have dozed off as only moments later she was shaken awake by Organic Mechanic and hauled to her feet. She stumbled slightly and regained her feet before yawning.
"Time to go girl." Organic Mechanic said, he glared at the War Boy who said fare night to Tempest and ignored her attempt to do so in kind.
"My thanks Organic Mechanic, Furi told me you did not want me traded to Gas Town."
The man laughed and shook his head. "You do most of the foot work girl, it would take too many days to train a new underhand. They want you they have to come here to get fixed."
Tempest bowed her head in respect and followed Organic Mechanic to her sleep room where she said goodbye, closed and bolted the door behind her. Alone in her shared sleep room she quickly found another knife from her sisters collection and slept with it close to her side.
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The next sun up was accompanied by loud knocking on Tempest Serene's sleep room door. She dressed quickly and opened the door, keeping her hand hidden behind the door her sister's knife gripped tightly in her fist. Organic Mechanic stood outside her door with a frown on his gruff face and a Servitude cowering behind him.
"Come, we've been summoned by Immortan Joe."
Tempest hurried out of the door and scurried after the long strides of Organic Mechanic.
"Why are we being summoned?" she asked, wondering if it had anything to do with the attempted abduction from the day before.
"Dumb question girl."
"Yes." Tempest agreed. She wondered how the conversation would go, it was rare for anyone to have an audience with Immortan Joe and his moods were mercurial.
They entered the Sun Spire, the usual place for Immortan Joe to watch the comings and goings of his empire. Rictus and his brother Fade were also sitting in the room, Immortan Joe and People Eater were standing at the great opening and their young trainees were attending them.
"Organic Mechanic and your Underhand Tempest Serene."
Tempest bowed to Immortan Joe showing respect, she stood silently next to Organic Mechanic and waited for their Leader to speak again.
"People Eater wants Tempest Serene for his fixer."
"Respectful no." Organic Mechanic declined, "Girl's my underhand, and she fixes things with her small hands I can't touch without breaking." Tempest kept her head bowed and down, so she missed the glitter of amusement that passed over Immortan Joes face. "Plus, girls taking care of the wives Joe."
The argument was pretty sound since Immortan Joe was notoriously territorial of his wives, and he wanted the best care for them. He also liked his War Boys taken care of as quickly as possible and the girl was mighty quick.
"Then I'll take her for wife." People Eater said with a loud grumble. Tempest almost jerked back in shock, her stomach turned to led and her blood froze in her veins. She didn't want to be a wife of People Eater, his three previous wives had been eaten by him after birthing his child.
Immortan Joe slashed his hand in front of his chest in a negative. "I'll give you a Smooth Skinned Child for your next wife. Your people can use Organic Mechanic and Tempest Serene, but here in the Citadel."
People Eater scowled and grumbled angrily under his breath and turned away from Immortan Joe. "I'm sending one of my people to learn from Organic Mechanic." He said with a hard tone. Immortan Joe nodded and then waved away Organic Mechanic and Tempest away. Organic Mechanic grabbed Tempests arm and pulled her quickly from the room.
"Off to the Workshop with you girl, check the War Boys and their Blood Bags and stay there for the rest of this day until your crazy sister comes to get you."
Tempest bowed and hurried off, her heart beating wildly in her chest. She wanted her sister back, Furiosa always made everything safe and well.
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When Furiosa returned she was not happy with the events that had taken place while she had been on the Fury Road. Tempest and Furiosa sat in their sleep room watching each other.
"You need to learn how to defend yourself, you cannot rely on the War Boys to save you each time. I will send you to Gartek the keeper to learn basic skills. They will be handy when we leave with the wives." Furiosa said.
"Are we still leaving Furi? What have you decided? Do you still know the way to the Green Place?" the questions plagued her and she was also reluctant to leave. Furiosa may be a strong warrior, but she only knew the War Boys from her Party and a few Black Caps that helped her repair the war rig when it needed it. Furiosa was not a woman that had people she cared for. Tempest however enjoyed her work, she liked fixing people, she liked helping the wives and she loved to listen to the impassioned stories of the War Boys victories. Tempest did not have her heart set on leaving, and she could not share her thoughts with her sister.
"Trader Zim has changed the route times, the Rig travels every ten days. If we kit out the Rig to go, we can leave in ten days."
Ten days was not enough time, she felt her heart pick up its pace again and tears gathered in her eyes. "What if it is not as you remember? You have not been back in all of this time. The land poisons and turns with the sand. It could be our death."
"This is our death!" Furiosa yelled, she stood up and started to pace around the room angrily, "you don't see it but this place chokes the life out of everyone. The Way Boys live and die so quickly their life is but a candle flame. The Below People eat each other or starve and they kill each other for water. The wives if they don't produce Perfect Smooth Skinned Children are taken to the breeder pens or become Mothers Milk Women. Servitudes are killed almost every day for breathing the wrong way. Organic Mechanic is not a good man, he kills and experiments on bodies no longer useful to Immortan Joe."
Tempest listened to her sister's words, her heart heavy. "It is still life that we can live…no listen to me please Furi, out there we will be hunted by Immortan Joes army, scavengers and biker gangs will attack us. What if the place you remember is not real? What if we die before we get there? What is the point of it?"
Furiosa crouched down in front of Tempest and took hold of her hands, her green eyes tearing as she looked at her younger sister. "What is the point of living this life now? We can have a chance at freedom. That is a life to fight for."
"It is a story of a life already lived." Tempest said gently, she was not prepared for her sister's anger and recoiled in fear as her sister screamed in her face and threw her hands away from her as if she were a diseased and dying War Boy.
"These people care northing for you! They will use you, keep you locked away like a pretty song bird. Tempest you are not a person to them and the War Boys only care for their Valhalla."
Tempest crossed her arms across her chest and hugged herself close, her grey eyes blurry with tears.
"They saved me from the Man Eaters Furi, how is that not caring?" the question came from her heart, for she truly did feel something for the War Boys that she knew the names and faces of.
"They will die one by one and they will go willingly, they will not fight to come back to you. In the end you will be alone in this stone tomb if you stay." Furiosa's face was a hard mask staring down at Tempest, "make your choice before the ten days are gone."
Imperator Furiosa stormed from the sleep room and did not return again that night. Tempest did not move from her sitting position and stared blankly at the wall across from her, her mind swirling with too many thoughts.
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It was two days later and Tempest still did not know what she would do. Furiosa was a cold and silent presence when in their sleep room together. Nux returned victorious with his War Party, however Sulphur his second hand on his V8 had been injured in the raid. The Blood Bag that would have been for Nux was set up for Sulphur who had lost too much blood that he would die without the help.
Tempest and Organic Mechanic worked for hours of the sun to save the crazed War Boy, he was angry at Nux who had denied him his chrome death rites. Nux however stood beside his second and watched Tempest work.
"He'll live." She said after she washed her hands in the cool basin water. Organic Mechanic grunted and left her to clean up. Nux sat down in the healing alcove and watched her work.
"How much longer do I have before I become weak?" Nux asked, he was picking at his blood coated nails. Tempest glanced at the War Boy, taking in his jittery movements and the darkened shadows under his eyes not caused by the War Boy paint. He looked tired as well.
"Another week at most, if Sulphur was not injured I would have you hooked up to the Blood Bag now."
Nux grinned at her, his bone white teeth flashing in the light. He jumped up and walked towards her. "We have been Triumphant after each raid, I do not fear. I may enter the gates of Valhalla before I need a Blood Bag." The excitement in his voice was unmistakable and Tempest remembered the words of her sister and frowned.
"Do you wish to enter Valhalla quickly?" she had never asked a War Boy that question before, their fanatic worship of Immortan Joe and Valhalla had mystified her.
Nux traced the markings on his chest thoughtfully and he gazed out towards the high window, sunlight highlighting the sharp edges of his face. "War Boys have a half-life, we life to die to live again, if we are strong we will see the gates of Valhalla open to us and we must enter willingly. Only then will we be granted full life." Nux closed his bright blue eyes and smiled happily at the thought of real life.
Tempest watched the War Boy before her with sadness catching at her heart, "Do you not like your half-life?"
Nux shrugged and picked at his fingernails again, "it is just the beginning."
"But…if you go on to Valhalla I will not see you again." Tempest hadn't meant to say that and she was confused over her feelings, but she did like the War Boy Nux, he was strong and passionate and a good leader. She felt like he was a friend, more than the wives of Immortan Joe were.
Nux moved quickly to grab the back of Tempests skull and stare down into her eyes, his hands were strong and she could feel the heat of his body from how close he stood. He tilted his head to the side as if confused over something. "You will follow me to Valhalla, you are a warrior of glorious battles." His voice held conviction and Tempest found herself believing him. Nux then released her and stepped away. "I will bring you a Blood Bag for me after my next raid, it will make it stronger than all other War Boys." He bowed respectfully to Tempest and left.
Tempest closed her eyes, and sighed. She didn't truly believe that the Green Place would be the great freedom that her sister believed, but Tempest knew that even if she had friends within the Citadel…her sister would always be the one she followed.
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TBC