Chapter 42: Ch. 42 – Nia Makes an Offer

A body was pressed up against me when I woke up, and I gave a long, annoyed sigh. I pushed Echo off of me unceremoniously which rolled her up against the stone wall of our private little shelter. She hissed from the coldness of the wall against her bare back and gave me an angry look.

 

"You're the one who keeps on sleeping naked when I've woken you up like this a dozen times already," I retorted at her glare as I sat up and swung my legs over the cot.

 

"It's called 'keeping up appearances' and you should remember that," Echo replied.

 

"My friends and brother have barely talked to me since we got here. They already think I've given up on Raven, and that I'm just selling myself out to Azgeda... the fact that I have kept my mouth shut this long is proof that I'm keeping up appearances," I growled.

 

"Yes, yes, pity for you," Echo said dryly as she settled in the bed.

 

Rolling my eyes, I stood up and headed over to my bag on the other side of the room. The only clothes that I was wearing were a pair of shorts and a wrap around my chest, so that I did look naked when I was under the covers. I had developed quite a bit of muscle with my regular sparring in the past four, nearly five, months since I had entered this world, which my outfit accented well and made me wish that I had cared more to work out in my past life.

 

I begrudgingly agreed to this arrangement after our first night 'together' and an Azgeda guard 'stumbled' into our little room. Without Echo's quick thinking, things would have gotten more complicated with Azgeda, but the whole mess blew up to the point that there was little question with my friends about the nature of our 'relationship'... even Clarke, who knew that there was a double agent, could not help but look at me differently. Since then, I had gotten the silent treatment from Finn, and both Bellamy and Clarke rarely talked to me. Things only become more awkward and tense when Byrne returned, so I exclusively moved into the room with Echo and avoided them when I could.

 

"Aren't you going to get up?" I asked as I pulled on a shirt.

 

"We can spar in the evening when you can show off. I'm going to get more sleep," Echo said.

 

"Are you sick? That's not the Echo I know; she never misses a chance to give me a few bruises."

 

"I'm just tired," she replied, laying her head on the pillow.

 

I frowned, knowing that something was off, but I also knew that she would not talk unless she wanted to. I pulled on the armor that Indra had given me, which was my usual look these days, but before I left, I stopped by her side.

 

"I know that I'm difficult to get along with, I'm sorry, but I am here if you need me," I said softly.

 

"Just remember that you get to go back to your former life in a few days while mine will be gone forever. Azgeda may be saved, but my people will never accept me again."

 

"Yu laik ai kru (You are my people)."

 

"Your accent is appalling," she chuckled, turning her head away from me.

 

I smirked, shaking my head, then headed out of our little building since that sounded more like her. She was such a strong, silent type that it was easy to forget everything that she was sacrificing by helping Lexa and me. What she was doing was ultimately for her people, but she would be villainized for betraying Nia for the rest of her life. 

 

The snow was finally starting to go away, but it was still cold. The sun had yet to rise, but most of the Azgeda people were already up and packing away their gear. We were leaving the camp today to join Nia on her way back to Polis. The effectiveness that my buildings had shown so far meant that I would be recreating them along the road back but permanent this time, so we would be traveling in style since the wagon would be staying with us.

 

There was no point in working on the wall before we left, so instead, I walked off, away from the group, and created a stone staff. I started to go through a few forms that I had learned with the staff, fighting imaginary opponents as I channeled my mana through my body to practice enhancing my speed. I had more mana than Lexa during our original spar, but I could barely use the most basic of her attacks despite nearly tripling my mana over the past few months. It was not about burning more of my mana to reach that point, but the problem was the efficiency of what I used. I had seen the same thing with my elemental powers, though they were easier to advance, so I knew that practice was still the likely solution.

 

"Your speed has improved again," Roan remarked.

 

"Practice, practice, practice," I retorted, using the same words that my piano teacher would often say to me in my past life.

 

"We'll be ready to move out in a few minutes if your people are ready," he said.

 

I nodded my head as I speared my staff into the ground and took a step towards our camp before he stopped me.

 

"Are you okay?" he asked.

 

"As good as someone marching to their own death can be," I replied grimly.

 

He sighed, "Lexa wasn't always this way, but perhaps that was due to her powers. She was a wise and fair leader in my eyes, even after she ordered my banishment, but it seems that even the strongest of us have demons in our hearts."

 

"That's just a part of life. People do terrible things to survive and secure their power."

 

"And what terrible things have you done?"

 

"Become a monster in the eyes of the people that I care about," I replied before walking past him.

 

I headed back to our camp and headed into the small building that Skaikru used. Everyone was up, their gear packed, and the mobile furniture was gone. There were a few benches of stone that I had created near the two fireplaces which was where Bellamy, Clarke, and Finn were sitting while Byrne was putting out one of the fires.

 

"Azgeda is ready to move out; they're just waiting on us," I said.

 

Finn stood up, grabbing his bag, then walked out of the building, hitting me with his shoulder as he passed. I closed my eyes with annoyance but said nothing since there was nothing that I could. To them, I was sleeping with the enemy after abandoning someone that I loved, so it was not a lie to Roan when I said that I had become a monster. I had hoped that Bellamy or, at least, Clarke would be able to see through my act, but maybe I was a better actress than I thought, or perhaps they were even better than me.

 

I walked out without another word, but I headed for the little building that I shared with Echo. The furniture was already gone, but Echo was still inside by the fireplace, drinking. I wandered up behind her and plucked the bottle out of her hands then took a drink.

 

"Water? Really?" I asked with surprise.

 

She smirked, "I can't drink if I am returning to Nia's side."

 

"That's no fun," I grumbled as I headed over to my bag and dug out a flask that I had stashed away.

 

"You care too much about 'fun'," she retorted.

 

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," I teased back before taking a swig then chuckled, "I mean... look at you."

 

She chuckled lightly, "Because being a fool is so much better."

 

"At least I smile more. That permanent frown you wear is going to cause a lot of wrinkles when you get older."

 

"I've never expected to live long enough to get old," Echo replied.

 

"Well," I sighed then took another drink, "get used to the idea because I plan on making sure that you hang around for a long time. You're my family now, and I'll do everything in my power to protect those that I consider as such."

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She smirked, "You're a strange person, Octavia, but I am happy to have gotten to know you."

 

"Just wait until we're living in Eden; I plan on getting a lot weirder once I don't have to keep being Natfaya," I chuckled.

 

"Maybe my execution won't be as painful," she retorted.

 

"Now that's just mean," I teased as I waved my hand, extinguishing the fire in the fireplace. "Come on, we should get going. If Finn is going to glare daggers into my back, I want a second target."

 

"Why does he seem to be more upset with you than the others?" she asked as we headed to the door.

 

"Because, if we really were fucking, I would be doing the exact same thing that he did to Raven when we first came down here. I gave him a hard time when we got together, and she's more like a little sister to him nowadays, so it's the best that he can do since he knows I'd kick his ass if he really tried to do anything to me... then heal him and do it all over again," I explained with an evil chuckle.

 

When we ducked outside, most people were mounted up and waiting on us. Predictably, Finn was glaring at the two of us, so I gave Echo a smirk before I moved away from her and walked over to Helios who was already saddled. I pulled myself up and waited until the last people mounted their horses then we were off at a steady, fast-paced walk.

 

Since we were riding to meet Nia, I was using some of Echo's lessons on how to act and behave which caused a few suspicious glances from Roan. With a few subtle gestures, I was able to convey that Echo was the cause, making him raise an eyebrow, but he still accepted it quickly. If I did not know that his distaste for his mother was bordering on hate, I might have felt bad because of our plans, but he would be a better leader for his people than his mother could ever be, and I did not doubt that for a moment.

 

We returned to Troit where Nia and her guards were already gathering outside of the castle. A couple of people from our little group headed into the castle, but surprisingly, Roan stayed mounted. He was still banished, so approaching Polis was very dangerous for him.

 

"You're not staying here?" I asked him quietly.

 

"I didn't want you to have all the fun avoiding Lexa's warriors," he retorted.

 

"Be careful staying too close to me then; Lexa and I can sense each other. I could still feel her even after we rode out of Polis when I left with your mother. I wouldn't want my assassination to end up being yours as well," I chuckled with dark humor.

 

Roan smirked, shaking his head. We left ten minutes later with Nia, Ontari, and Echo riding at the head of the caravan while Roan and I rode a little further back, so that they were out of earshot. After a while, Roan was called ahead while Ontari moved back to ride with me. It was clear that they were talking about me, but there was little that I could do now, other than hope that Echo's and my plan would be enough.

 

We rode until the sun started dipping below the horizon since my powers made setting up camp so easy. The Azgeda warriors went about collecting firewood and tending to the horses while I created three buildings with chimneys. After I was done, people started moving in the simple furniture and preparing dinner, but Echo, Roan, and I moved a little away from the camp under Nia's watchful eye.

 

I held my two batons in my hands, pointing one at both Roan and Echo as they circled around me. When they were both on opposite sides of me, they launched their attacks in unison. Roan swung his sword for my head while Echo thrusted her weapon towards my chest. I channeled my mana through my body, increasing my speed, and deflected both of their attacks with heavy swings against their weapons which even threw them off balance from the impact.

 

I slid closer to Roan and delivered a shoulder slam directly into his chest. It might have been at my normal speed, but combined with my counter, he was sent stumbling back as he attempted to stay upright. Echo did not let me press my advantage against him as she moved to kick me from behind, but I could sense her movement with my Wind Domain that was still active. I twisted around her leg, locking it behind me by her ankle, and brought down my second baton to smash down on her collarbone, but stopped an inch before I hit her and smiled.

 

"Got you," I teased, letting her go.

 

She snorted, but the smirk on her face warned me that Roan was approaching from behind. Dropping my last baton, I spun my hands around each other, building up Wind energy, as I turned around. Roan swung the flat of blade towards me, but I thrusted out my hands first, launching a ball of compressed air into his chest. He was knocked off his feet and thrown back a bit as the air exploded outwards. With a chuckle, I used my powers to pick up one of my batons while I walked to his side and placed the end against his chest.

 

"I win," I said then held out a hand.

 

"If you didn't with all of your powers, it would be pathetic," Roan retorted as he took my hand and I helped him up.

 

"It's not my fault that no one else has crazy powers like mine. I'm only using a fraction of my power, after all."

 

"Let's see if you can do it without relying on them," Echo said.

 

"I'm only using my new ones that I'm developing, so I need the practice," I retorted, but the glare she gave made me roll my eyes and agree, begrudgingly, "Fine, to an absolute minimum."

 

The three of us sparred for nearly an hour with only a few minor blows landing on each other. When we stopped to eat, I was invited to eat with Nia and Roan in her personal room since she had claimed the third building as her own; Queen's privilege, I guess. Echo and Ontari were also in the room, but they were serving as guards and attendants which made me give Echo a teasing smile while she poured a glass of wine for me.

 

"You have improved quite a bit in the past month," Nia remarked over our meal.

 

"Thank you for the compliment, your majesty. It is all due to the effort that your son and Echo have put into our daily sparring sessions. They are both excellent warriors," I praised.

 

"I was curious about the move that you used against Roan which threw him off his feet."

 

"Something that I have been working on recently. Aside from my Earth and Fire, I have been practicing controlling the Wind. I don't have the same affinity with it as I do my Fire, but I'm constantly practicing with it by keeping the cold air away from me," I explained with a light chuckle. "I'm going to need all of the surprises that I can get to ensure my safety during our stay in Polis."

 

"You believe that Lexa would move against you, despite your achievements?" she asked.

 

"She already has, unless Kane is lying to me, but either way, people want me dead and the best way to avoid that fate is to be watching for it," I replied.

 

"An unfortunate consequence of being in power, there is always someone waiting to take it from you."

 

"And the main reason why I find it so annoying," I agreed. "I had hoped that playing along would make me less of a threat, but I suppose that was just my naivety."

 

"Lexa has always been cunning and ruthless. She'll do whatever it takes to hold onto the title of Heda."

 

I nodded my head and ate a few more bites of food before Nia brought up another topic.

 

"There seems to be a divide between you and your people that are with us," she said.

 

I gave a bitter smirk and explained, "They haven't been liking the... 'company' that I've been keeping recently. The first group that my people sent down to the surface, which we all were a part of, formed deep bonds while trying to survive in Trikru lands, and my former lover was also part of it. They see it as if I have abandoned her, but the truth of the matter is that if she isn't already dead, Lexa will use her as a pawn to control me. As the Old Earth saying goes, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Unfortunately, my friends don't understand my side of the matter because I have been able to shelter them from the tough decisions."

 

"As usual, there is wisdom in your words. You have the capability to be a good leader for your people."

 

"Perhaps, but it's become clear that Lexa won't allow me to grow. Overstaying my welcome in the lands of the Coalition will only bring them more problems, so I hope to simply disappear after I've finished my time with Azgeda. I'm thankful for the peace that I've had while in your kingdom and want to repay the favor while I still can."

 

"While you still can?"

 

"I would prefer to not involve Azgeda in my personal matters, but Lexa has touched my reverse-scale. I understand that I cannot act while I am still in your service, or your people could be pulled into my mess," I replied.

 

Nia smiled, "What if I offered you a way to get your revenge on Lexa while also protecting your people?"

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