Ride the Fury
Chapter 3 – Wild and Free
With her mind made up, Tempest knew she would have to prepare as well as she could. Her sister and Immortan Joes wives were of the notion that their journey would be straight forward and that the Green Place would be waiting for them. Tempest however could not believe in such a story, never having laid eyes on a Green Place she could not comprehend what it would look like.
Tempest sat down with two cloth bags open and ready for supplies. She piled her fixing supplies around her, with vials of liquids to numb pain, heal burns, seal cuts and also to knock someone out. She rolled cloth bandages up and filled almost an entire bag full of them. She rolled open her fixing knives, they were thin and very sharp with the intent to cut open a person to transplant parts form a Blood Bag. She checked each one to make sure that they were clean and in good repair, before placing them inside the cloth bag with bandages.
She rolled her soothing oils onto a soft rag and tied them together, she knew that the wives of Immortan Joe were used to being massaged and that they would demand the continued service even on the road, or once they reached the Green Place. Next she carefully tied tubing, hooks and needles together and the gut string used to sew wounds closed were kept inside a vial of body fluid to keep them from drying out.
With two bags full of fixing equipment Tempest felt a little calmer about leaving. She hoped that her times helping Breeders birth their children would prepare her for when Immortan Joes wives children were born. Each time she had had Organic Mechanic with her as the lead, so she was a little nervous about doing anything alone. Closing and tying the cloth bags up Tempest then got out a ragged and stained sheet and lay it on the ground. She piled clothing that would fit both Furiosa and herself. She made sure that a second pair of boots each were finally enclosed in the sheet.
Tempest stood with her hands on her hips and let her eyes roam their small sleep room. Had she missed anything that needed to be packed? If everything went well and their small convoy survived their escape then they were never coming back. The room though sparse had been home for all of her life. There were drawings carved into the stone walls, small gifts she had received from Furiosa when her sister had found a good horde of Before Time things.
"This is home." Tempest whispered, her hand trailing over the carved figures she had drawn of herself and her sister. Gathering her courage she stepped back and tried to detach herself from that feeling, objects and places weren't home, people were. Furiosa was her home and wherever she went that was where Tempest would follow. It did not stop her heart from falling in sadness, it did not stop her from wishing that Furiosa could be happy at the Citadel.
Going back over to her packed bags she pulled her empty work bag over her shoulder and left the sleep room, they would need food on their journey and it she would need to steal it. With People Eater and his Man Eaters gone back to Gas Town Tempest felt safe once again to walk through the corridors of the Citadel. The produce rooms were in the central areas of the Citadel, sunlight was able to enter the high window carvings and allowed the greens to survive. The Produce rooms were always attended by Servitudes, small quick men and women who were trained as children to listen, obey and work hard. They were the children too deformed to become War Boys, Wives or Breeders.
It was not uncommon for Tempest to go to the Produce Room as Organic Mechanic sometimes liked to experiment with the plants that they grew. She set to work quickly on piking the greens, produce if dried could last for weeks. She was hoping that by picking the produce now they would be as prepared as they could for their journey. She knew that Furiosa would be busy kitting out the War Rig with secret bolt holes and extra bullets, but her sister dealt with war, not long term survival. The Wives were used to luxury, Immortan Joe gave them everything and anything they could possibly want other than freedom. She was not sure how much they desired to escape, was it just a dream that they had in their minds? Would they be willing to die for that freedom? Tempest did not think that she could trust the Wives to hold on to their conviction once the bullets started to fly. With a bag full of greens Tempest left with a happy wave from the Produce Room and hurried to the Corner Bar where dried meats and gruel were stored. She spoke with the Servitudes on duty, asking questions and ordering food for the War Boys receiving Blood Bags while she used sleight of hand to steal as much as she could.
Feeling jittery and worried she had been caught, Tempest hurried back to her sleep room and hid the bag in a small wooden chest that Furiosa kept all of their precious things in. Tempest then sat and waited until her breathing and heart returned to normal before heading out once again, she had work to do in the Workshop and she could not let Organic Mechanic think that anything was different. The man she worked under had the ear of Immortan Joe and they could not afford to have anyone suspect them.
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Tempest had tried to talk with Furiosa the night before, about her decision to follow and about the preparations she had made but her older sister had turned her back and rolled over to sleep, shutting her ears to Tempests words.
Furiosa was gone the next sun up without a word to Tempest and so the girl decided that she would continue as she was until Furiosa was over her anger. It was a day that Tempest was already scheduled to visit Immortan Joe's wives and so she made her way through the Citadel to the Abode.
History Woman greeted her with a kind smile and Tempest felt immediately better knowing that History Woman agreed with the Wives that leaving was a good plan. History Woman always told stories of strong women who taught their children to be kind to others and that a world could exist without wars and blood. Although Tempest liked to hear those stories she could not really imagine a different existence than the one that they lived now.
Splendid was having her hair brushed by Capable, as the two older wives of Immortan Joe they were always supporting one another. The younger wives still fought with each other to try and gain more attention and therefore gifts from Immortan Joe.
"Tempest Serene, come and check my belly." Splendid held out a long arm towards Tempest and she hurried over to place her hands over the girls growing belly. She could feel the child moving within which was a good sign.
"Does it pain you?" Tempest asked, watching the other girls face and eyes to catch any lie.
"A little and it is also harder to sleep at night."
Tempest nodded and continued to press the belly, checking the stretch of skin and trying to ascertain where the child was positioned. Sometimes if the baby grew large too quickly they found that it could not turn properly and during the birthing would die. "It feels fine Splendid. I have come to check that you are packed and ready to leave. Furiosa says it should be only days before we leave."
The Wives became quiet for a moment before they cheered and laughed and rushed at Tempest, enclosing her in a large and happy hug. They stayed that way for a few minutes, with a few of the Wives crying whispering words like Green Place and Safe Place.
They were quick after their hug to give Tempest their bags or clothing and precious metals and keepsakes that could be used to barter with later. History Woman pressed a key into Tempests hands, "a copy of the key to unlock the Abode."
With a quick goodbye Tempest left the Abode with the bags, explaining to the Servitudes who questioned her that she was taking the sheets to be burned at the Incinerator as she had been concerned about disease. The Servitudes quickly ushered her away from them and Tempest hurried to her sleep room, avoiding all and every person she saw in the corridors.
The bags now took up a third of their Sleep Room and Tempest worried about how Furiosa would hide them from the War Boy Black Caps who did the final check of the War Rig and War Vehicles before they were Okayed to leave on the trade. She almost jumped out of her skin when their Sleep Room door banged open. Furiosa stormed in, covered in axel grease and scowling at anything and everything.
"What's this?" Furiosa asked and she kicked at the nearest bag. Tempest lunged forward and put herself between her angry sister and the bags. She was lucky that the bag Furiosa had kicked didn't contain her fixing supplies.
"Bags with clothes and food and fixing things for the journey." Tempest explained, she was nervous that her sister would continue to kick the bags.
"Where did they come from?"
"These ones here are my bags, they have fixing things in them," Tempest said and then gestured to the wooden box hidden in the corner. "That one is food and these are from Immortan Joes wives."
She waited with bated breath for Furiosa to say anything. Her sister was silent and still for long minutes before she moved quickly to gather Tempest into a strong and crushing embrace.
"Good, that's good. Were you seen at all?" The relief in Furiosa's voice puzzled Tempest for a moment before she realised that her sister had been worried that Tempest would choose to stay behind.
"Should we plan more?" Tempest asked as she stepped away from her sister once Furiosa let her go.
Furiosa shook her head, "The Rig has been prepared, you've packed well and the only thing that we need to do now is to put everything into the Rig. Did you get the key from History Woman?"
"Here," Tempest gave Furiosa the key from her pocket and then crouched down to rearrange the bags. "Do you have enough bullets?"
Furiosa laughed and squeezed Tempests hand in reassurance, "Always enough bullets."Furiosa then gripped Tempests hand harder and pulled her to her feet, "come, I want you to learn something from Galtek." Furiosa ignored Tempest protests and gave up trying to pull free from her sister's stronger grip.
Tempest was surprised when she and her sister ended up in the Pits watching War Boys go through their training. Galtek the Keeper stood watching them and yelling out orders or fixing a young War Boys throw.
"Galtek" Furiosa yelled, she pulled a reluctant Tempest with her.
"Imperator Furiosa and Tempest Serene." Galtek walked towards the two women, "You here for a reason?"
Furiosa pulled her sister in front of her and placed heavy hands on her shoulders to keep her in place. "Tempest needs to learn how to protect herself."
Galtek tilted his head to the side to take in the thin girl. Tempest was not as strongly built as her sister, yes she was tall and had clever hands, but her weight and muscle mass were almost half that of her sister.
"I'll see what I can do with her, come back next day at sun up and we will test her strength. Now go away, I am busy." Galtek then went back to his practicing War Boys.
Furiosa grinned down at Tempest and clapped her happily on her back, almost pushing her forward from the force. "Good, now I'll take those bags and put them away, you go back to work."
Furiosa left her sister with quick strides and Tempest watched her go almost dizzy with all that had happened that day. Taking a deep breath Tempest rolled her shoulders back to relax herself and then took off to the Workshop, she needed to make sure that she followed her normal schedule to keep their plan safe.
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The next few days were tiring and almost made Tempest hate her sister. Galtek pushed Tempest hard, teaching her to fall correctly, how to get out from holds from stronger opponents and how to fire a gun. Galtek and the War Boys she trained with thought it was funny and often made a game of tripping her up to help Tempest learn to keep her eyes open and her feet quick.
After her morning training she was then expected to work the day with Organic Mechanic, checking the Breeding pens, the Mothers Milk Women, Immortan Joes wives, the War Boys with their Blood Bags and Organic Mechanics experiments.
It was during one of her training mornings that Nux sat in to watch her, he was accompanied by Fevar and Sulphur, two of his War Party. They cheered along with the younger War Boys as she rolled to her feet and blocked Galteks knife jab, locking his wrist and flipping him away from her.
"My turn!" Nux offered, he was getting weaker and his shakes were coming more regularly but he was also determined to play. He ignored the knife handle offered him, he did not want to accidently hurt Tempest and sometimes the Blood Rage took over a War Boy even during play.
Tempest was panting and wiped a shaking had across her sweaty brow. She got into her ready stance that Galtek had almost beaten into her and waited for Nux to attack. She almost yelped when he moved, he was a lot faster than Galtek and she realised in that moment that Galtek had been going easy with her. Nux was testing her reaction time and skill level under higher pressure. Her brain did not have time to think and her body moved on its own to step backwards to keep distance between them, she pulled her fists close to her body.
Nux lunged and caught Tempests hand in his own, forcing it down and pulling her towards him, keeping her off balance. Tempest allowed the movement and flowed with it, pushing closer to Nux with as much force as she could, driving her free fist towards Nux's throat. She was almost blinded by Nux's wide bone white grin and his bright blue eyes.
Nux deflected her fist and spun her around so that her back was pressed against his chest, his strong arms kept her restrained and his legs had hers trapped. Tempest panted and tried to think her way out of the hold. The only thing she could move was her head and she wasn't sure she could get enough force behind the movement to head-butt Nux behind her, but she didn't want to give up. Instead she looked over to Galtek.
"What should I do when I'm held like this?" she ignored Nux's chuckle in her ear and waited for her teacher or the watching War Boys to offer advice.
"Dead weight, or a head-butt, can you move your head enough to bite his arms?" Fever offered.
Nux shifted his grip and Tempest tried to relax all of her muscles into dead weight. Nux grunted at the extra weight but held her still. "You don't weigh enough for me to drop, maybe if I wasn't paying attention it would work. Try your head," Nux said.
Tempest followed the instructions of the others and tried to get enough force behind a head-butt, the others offered suggestions but it was not possible for her to hit Nux with her head. Sighing in frustration she looked down at his strong pale arms crossing her chest and wondered if she could bend her body down to bite him.
Looking up at the watching War Boys from under her eyelashes she bent her head and placed her teeth against Nux's forearm. Nux let out a soft huff of warm breath that tickled her neck, "harder, make me want to drop you, make me bleed for holding you." Tempest was a little apprehensive to make Nux bleed, but the encouraging words from the others as well as the thought that she might need this information later on forced her into action. She clamped her teeth down onto Nux's arm and bit now hard, she focussed only on what she was doing and the change in Nux's breath as he grunted in pain and pulled her closer to his chest.
Blood filled her mouth and she almost pulled back in fright but she clamped down harder and then dragged her head side to side trying to deepen the wound. Nux laughed and released her, she stumbled to her feet and spun back around to look at the damage she had caused. Nux moved forward quickly and gripped the back of her skull in strong hands and the move was a familiar one that Tempest did not try to get out of his grip. He stared down into her grey eyes with such a sharp piercing look that Tempest couldn't move. His warm thumb traced the blood dripping from her mouth and his eyes followed the movement as if fascinated. Nux completely ignored the blood from his wounded arm as it coated his pale skin.
"Lovely pain." Nux complimented and brought his face closer to Tempests so that all she could see was his bright blue eyes, "that is how you win a battle." He released her and walked back over to his War Party, leading them away and back towards the Shop to work on their war vehicles. Galtek threw a rag at Tempests head and she caught it absentmindedly and wiped down her face, her heart and eyes followed Nux as he left the Pits.
Instead of going straight to work with Organic Mechanic in the Workshop Tempest took a bag of glue and bandages to the Shop to fix Nux's arm from her bite. She still wasn't sure how deep the wound she had given him was, and she was also reluctantly eager to see him.
The Shop was filled with fumes and the sounds of metal hitting metal. It was a very hot place as open flames kept metal heated and malleable to kit out new war vehicles. She found Nux and his War Party working on three war vehicles and she made her way over to them.
"Nux, let me fix your arm." Tempest offered, she set her bag down and waited for him to come out from inside his V8. He didn't even move from where he was, just thrust out his bloodied arm from the window and continued to tweak with something on the dashboard.
"Hurry up, we are headed for a raid later today." Nux said, his voice distracted. Tempest set to work, making sure that she didn't touch anything the War Boys were working on. She cleaned the wound and noted the perfect shape of her teeth cut into his skin, there was already bruising around the wound and she worried that it would scar, she said as much to him. "Battle scars are badges and marks of victory." Nux quoted and he took his eyes from what he was working on and looked up at her. "Scars mean you lived, no scars means you're dead." Tempest smiled at the words and finished wrapping up the wound.
"Can I ask about Valhalla, Nux?"
The War Boys around her working on the vehicles ignored her presence completely and Nux swung his body around to face her better. He crossed his arms over the open window and rested his chin on his hands. "What do you want to know?"
"When you leave for Valhalla, what do you do?" she had been curious about it for a very long time. Nux reached down inside his car and pulled out a cylinder and showed her.
"This is Chrome, we spray it over our mouths when we see the gates of Valhalla open to us." He rotated the can in his hands for a moment, "Words are spoken, usually something that the War Boy feels should be his last oath or devotion to show himself worthy to be received into Valhalla."
He looked up at her and then threw the can in her direction. "Take it for when Valhalla calls you, that way we will meet in death and live a full-life together." Nux then spun back in his seat and went back to work. Tempest eyed the can of Chrome and then placed it carefully into her fixing bag. She watched Nux work for a moment, taking in his shaking hands and his narrowed blue eyes with a frown.
"Nux, you need to bring back a Blood Bag on this trip." Tempest didn't wait for a reply, she had work to do and so did Nux.
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Tempest knew that she should have hidden the Chrome better, she watched her sister pace their Sleep Room with the can clutched in her mechanic hand, crushing the flimsy metal. Her heart was thudding hard in her chest her grey eyes watched her sister apprehensively.
"Please say something Furi, you're scaring me." Tempest said, she wrung her hands worriedly.
"What do you want me to say Tempest?" Furiosa's voice was angry and deep, her green eyes filled with frustrated tears. She held up the can of Chrome towards Tempest, "That it's ok for you to have this? That I'm fine with you being crazy like every other War Boy? That I want you to be suicidal and kill yourself just to go to someplace that doesn't exist?" She flung the can hard at Tempest and the girl flinched as it hit her hard in the chest. "I didn't think you were that stupid."
Tears welled in Tempests eyes and she let them fall down her cheeks. "I don't think wanting to believe that if I die there is something more is stupid Furi." She said as calmly as she could. Her sister swung around to face her, her entire body tense and angry.
"Valhalla does not exist Tempest, War Boys are crazy and follow only Immorten Joe, they die for him. Is that what you are going to do? Die for an old man who is falling apart? Die for a War Boy who is intent on killing himself? If all you are going to think about is dying then I think you should stay here and not come with us when we leave for the Green Place."
The words cut deep into Tempests heart and she sat down on the floor, unable to put into words what she was feeling or thinking. "We live and die Furiosa, I don't have the desire to die, but it is something that we do, everyone dies." She whispered as she picked up the crushed can of Chrome, "I like that the War Boys believe in something after death, otherwise what happens when we die? Is that it? Do I not get to see you again? It gives me hope and comfort Furiosa." Tempest looked up at her still angry sister, her face blurry through Tempests tears.
"We are going to the Green Place where we can be happy and safe, we have family there and we will not have to fight for life every day. Why are you thinking of death when you should be focussing on life!" the words were shouted at Tempest and she ducked her head as her sisters words echoed in her ears.
"The Green Place might not be there Furi, you haven't been back, and you were only a child when we left."
"Tempest why do you believe the words of the War Boys but not my words?"
"I do trust you Furi, but I think we should also be prepared for the worst." Tempest argued, she clenched her hands into fists.
"You trust the War Boys about Valhalla, a place you have never seen and which only exists in death but you do not think the Green Place exists, a place you can see in life? You will not go to Valhalla Tempest because it does not exist, it is nonsense and crazy talk," Furiosa breathed heavily through her nose as she glared down at her sister. "If it did exist you still would not go, it is a place for warriors, and you are not one. Make sure you are ready to travel to the Green Place." Furiosa stooped down and wrenched the crushed can from her sister's hands, she left the Sleep Room and did not return for the rest of the night.
Tempest cried herself to sleep that night, she worried that the Green Place would tear her and her sister apart and they hadn't even left yet. Tempest was starting to hate the Green Place.
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Nux was successful once again in his raid and he sat in the Workshop waiting for his Blood Bag to finish getting tagged before it was hooked up to him. He watched Tempest work on an injured Rev Head with Organic Mechanic, they had a Blood Bag opened up at the chest and they were taking out different blood soaked organs and transplanting them into the Rev Heads open chest cavity.
They closed both the Blood Bag and the Rev Head up quickly but kept them lying on the slabs to recover from their fixing. Organic Mechanic was speaking gruffly to Tempest and the girl shook her head before making her way over to Nux.
"Let me set up the tubes Nux, your Blood Bag was a fighter and Organic Mechanic has him muzzled and caged while I get this ready."
The War Boy grinned and shrugged his shoulders, he now had a new jacket which she assumed he had gotten from the victorious raid. "Means I'll get good blood." He said with a happy smile. Nux shrugged out of his jacket and put it next to him while Tempest puttered around him. Organic Mechanic and two War Boys brought the Blood Bag out, he had been knocked out and the metal muzzle glinted in the low light. They struggled to hook the Blood Bag up and then Tempest quickly got the tubing connected between the Blood Bag and Nux. She lay gentle fingers against his wrist and looked up into his blue eyes.
"You'll be fine by tomorrow's sun down." She reassured and Nux shrugged his shoulder already looking bored.
"Good, I'll be on the Fury Road after this, ready to drive the Great War Rigs for Immortan Joe, or even be a part of his personal guard."
"Is that what you want to do Nux?" Tempest asked as she checked the blood flow.
Nux tilted his head to the side as he thought, his blue eyes half closed. "I want to be a great warrior, one that is acknowledged by Immortan Joe. That way I will be guaranteed a place in Valhalla. Beed Face died today without going to Valhalla, he did not spray the Chrome nor make his oath. It was a bad death." He sighed and looked up at her with clear, serious eyes. "You will make the oath when Valhalla opens its gates to you." It was not a question and was almost a command.
"Furiosa says I am not a warrior, and I think she is right." Tempest said as she made to move away to pack up her fixing things. Her wrist was caught by Nux's free hand.
"There are different types of warriors, they are someone with a strong heart and a good cause. We fight for a purpose and receive the rewards of that work. You use your hands to fight against the bad death every day. War Boys see you as a warrior Tempest Serene and you will join us in Valhalla with a good death."
Tempest felt her heart swell with happiness and she placed her hand over Nux's. "Thank you Nux, I will see you tomorrow when your Blood Bag is done." She then detached herself from Nux's hand.
Tempest cleaned up her work station, and then left for the night. She took one last look at Nux who sat in the low light poking at his dead to the world Blood Bag in curiosity. She was sad to leave, but she would have been sadder still if Nux had not reassured her that her belief in Valhalla was wrong.
With Nux strapped to a Blood Bag it meant that he would not be able to follow after the War Rig if Immortan Joe came after them. Tempest was sure that their escape would not be as easy as Furiosa and Immortan Joes wives believed and she was happy that Nux would not be there. She wanted Nux to live longer to achieve his dream and she wanted him to be happy. Tempest returned to her Sleep Room quickly and prepared herself for the journey.
Furiosa was still not talking to her, but they were leaving the next morning on the trade run and she had to help smuggle Immorten Joe's wives into the War Rig. They would try to escape to the hated Green Place and Tempest prayed that it would be worth it and that they would all make it there alive, but she could not help feeling a heavy weight on her heart that told her it would not be so.
Tempest opened her fixing things bag, the new one that she had stolen to replace the one she had used to pack supplies in. Inside the bag and wrapped securely was a new can of Chrome. If she died on this journey she wanted to be there waiting in Valhalla for Nux to follow.
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Thanks to PrincessxXxDarkness, aliceXavengence, CinnamonCherry123, Guest, THC, Pein's Kid, Superdani4Ever, FlyingHampsterofDoom and ThePhantomismyLove for your reviews. It was really nice to see that people are liking the story