Chapter 49: Ch. 49 – A Challenge on the Horizon

Lexa, Indra, Kane, and Clarke were sitting in Lexa's throne room, discussing things, when I led in my group from Becca's Island which caused the conversation to stop. Luna was the odd man out while everyone else reunited despite only being separated for a week, but it was nice to see the strength of our relationships with each other. It would be this group that would lead the remainder of humanity on Earth, so the fact that we were so united was a good thing.

 

"Thank you for agreeing to help, Luna," Lexa said as we all took our seats.

 

"Octavia has done a lot for our people, so I'm willing to help her shoulder this burden," Luna replied.

 

Lexa nodded and agreed, "She has. Jaemo kom Trishanakru arrived here four days ago carrying news of the riots, so I sent out scouts to confirm. Thanks to the radios provided by Skaikru, they've reported that Iseto kom Ingranronakru is the ringleader of this revolt and is mobilizing the warriors of the three clans, as well as arming up the civilians. They are estimating that the army will be ready to move in the next two days which is why I rushed for you to return."

 

Luna sighed at the name of the leader, and I noticed Indra's eye twitch with annoyance.

 

"Who is Iseto?" I asked.

 

"A war chief of Ingranronakru," Lexa replied.

 

"He is known as Blodripa, Red Death, because he leaves a wake of it on every battlefield that he has fought on. He was supposed to have been killed four years ago, but obviously, Damol lied about it," Indra explained.

 

"Is Iseto crazy? Does he think he can take the bunkers from us?" I asked with disbelief.

 

"He will be rallying every person that was left out of the pick. While we can seal the bunkers early if we need to, he will likely turn his army on Arkadia," Lexa sighed.

 

"His army is already a thousand men strong which is more than enough to destroy the radiation shield, if not completely wipe out everyone that we have there," Kane said.

 

"I still think we should have Octavia build walls around Arkadia. I've seen what she can do while we were in the Ice Nation," Clarke insisted.

 

"We have three and a half weeks before Praimfaya, and they'll be here in two weeks. Even if she could create walls around Arkadia, that many people would find a way over, under, or through them. We need to stop this before he turns to population against us. It's going to be a challenge to maintain control here as it is. Until we lock the doors of the bunkers, we are in constant danger of losing control," Lexa replied.

 

"What's your opinion, Luna?" I asked.

 

Luna sighed, "Lexa is right. The people that will follow Iseto will be the most desperate of sorts. If they can't get the bunkers, their fury will turn to Skaikru and try to take Arkadia for themselves."

 

"But the Ark can only support three hundred people," Clarke said.

 

"Our people would barely be able to use the tech in your ship. It doesn't matter how many people the shelters can support. They would overfill all of them if they had the ability, despite the fact that they would starve before they could return to the surface," Lexa retorted.

 

Clarke sighed dejectedly and Lexa's expression softened at her reaction.

 

"So, what's the plan with Iseto and his army since killing him at this point would just raise another to his position?" I asked.

 

"His army is gathering in Ashville, and I want you to stop it from leaving, whatever the method. You'll have a week to gather the four hundred members of the three clans, but if Iseto is still a danger, it will be difficult for you to bring them back safely. Any longer and you will risk not making it back in time, since they'll be walking," Lexa answered.

 

"I'm guessing he isn't the type that could be reasoned with, nor those that are following him," I sighed.

 

"He isn't," Indra replied coldly.

 

"How are we supposed to stop an army of over a thousand people with just four people?" Raven asked since I had told her that I was only taking her, Echo, and Luna.

 

"With our words... and when that fails, intimidation," I replied.

 

Raven looked at me like I was crazy which made Lexa chuckle and Kane sigh.

 

"As unlikely as Octavia's words sound, those are our only options aside from killing the army outright with a missile from Mount Weather or cutting out the three clans, and any others that he might gather. Ashville is near the borders of Boudalankru's and Podakru's territory, so he has likely reached out to them as well, and possibly what he is waiting for," Lexa said.

 

"I still don't understand how he was able to do it. Iseto is a madman and butcherer. Even if the people are angry… to follow him," Luna sighed, shaking her head.

 

"A radical leader for a radical time," Lexa retorted. "Over a hundred thousand people are facing death, whether they believe the claims of Praimfaya or not. It's easy to spur the frightened masses into fighting… but I do think there could be something more to this. Iseto was dead in our original timeline, never making it to the Final Conclave or he would have been the Ingranronakru representative. The actions that Octavia and I have taken will have changed many things, so I can only guess that he had been a casualty of Alie, but I'm not sure."

 

Raven frowned and I could tell she wanted to ask something, but she hesitated as she looked around, yet I had a feeling that I knew.

 

"You think there is a chance he's like us, don't you?" I asked.

 

"Your personal losses aside, you know things have been relatively easy compared to the struggle it had been. Somehow, Alie already knew that I had the second AI, so it would be foolish to not expect more changes. Ingranronakru is the furthest territory of the Coalition, so my information of what is happening there is greatly limited. If there was going to be someone that could stand against us, they would need to have some kind of power, no?" Lexa replied.

 

I sighed and leaned back in my chair, looking up at the ceiling.

 

"What does that mean? Do you believe that Iseto has powers similar to your own?" Luna asked.

 

"It's possible... Lexa and I did not know about each other until we met," I replied, despite the fact that it was a lie.

 

"That can make things a lot more complicated," Kane said after a while.

 

"It can," Lexa agreed, "which is why a small team would be better. Octavia can protect a few people easier than an entire team of warriors. I want to do right by my people, but that also means doing right by her. Octavia has given more to this cause than any of us, so if she feels that it isn't safe and wants to retreat, I won't question it, and I hope that no one else would either."

 

"Of course, I've seen her skill with a weapon and know that I don't understand your powers, so if she doesn't feel confident, I would prefer to just return," Luna said.

 

"Octavia has some talent, but without her power..." Indra started.

 

"No, her skill has improved incredibly recently. Even without relying on her powers, she can best me with ease," Echo cut-in.

 

Indra raised an eyebrow and looked at me, making me sigh.

 

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"Several of you already know, but the events surrounding Nia's death caused something to change within me. My powers have grown, my body has strengthened, and my perception has heightened. I don't know why or how, only that there is this difference," I explained.

 

"Keeping things from me?" Lexa chuckled while she leaned on her hand.

 

"More like I have been trying to forget it... It was something fueled by anger and pain, and I don't want to rely on it." 

 

"I'm sorry," Lexa replied in a sober tone that was reflected by everyone in the room.

 

"It's fine," I sighed. "I've been meaning to tell you about it, but things have yet to calm down."

 

"At this point, I don't think things will calm down until we're dead," Lexa said with a wry smile.

 

"I'm going to have to agree; we haven't been on Earth for a year, and I've had to put out how many fires? I'm seriously due for a nice vacation," I chuckled.

 

Raven, Clarke, and Lexa chuckled as well, while the others in the group took my words seriously, except for Echo who just looked annoyed by my usual complaints. We talked for a while, but when the sun started to set, it was time for my small group to leave for Ashville. Time was of the essence, so despite the fact that everyone was tired, except for me, we still needed to leave. Kane gave us the smaller of the two rovers and already had supplies packed away for us, so we just needed to get in and head out. The others also came down with us, but Lexa pulled me aside and handed me a book.

 

"There were a few surprises that I found in the Second Dawn bunker, but this one seemed to be the most important for you. This is where my Shadow powers come from, but I think it's also where your Light-based healing comes from. Even if it can't help you with your Light powers, the ritual to become a Naru Darc is in there and with the amount of mana that you already have, you should be able to easily make a contract, but you'll need a new moon before you can do it," Lexa explained.

 

'From Darkness to Light' was the title on the cover, but it was the author that caught my attention: Tori Russel Cox. It seemed that he left more presents than just his guitar, so I smiled as I tucked the book under my arm.

 

"Does that mean that you also found 'Grand Master of the Five Elements'?" I asked with a light chuckle.

 

"It's on my nightstand since you haven't had the chance to teach me anything," she retorted.

 

"Well, it's a good starting point, but I've realized that there is more possible than what's in the story. Since my sensitivity to the elements increased, I've been able to sense... I guess, a Plant element. It's hard to describe, but it does seem possible to fuse the elements together, which wasn't possible in the story, so keep that in mind. The limit to our powers only seems to be what we believe it to be."

 

Lexa chuckled softly, "That sounds about right for him; give us a bit of the info and make us figure out the rest on our own. He sucked in group assignments, but I always got an A with him, so I shouldn't complain too much. Take care of yourself out there, and the rest of your group."

 

"Of course," I replied with a smile. "Good luck managing everything here, I'm sure you'll need it."

 

"Thanks," she retorted.

 

We gave each other a hug and then I walked back to the rover where the rest of my group was waiting on me. I gave them a nod and Echo and Luna climbed in the back while Raven took the front passenger seat. Conveniently, there was an auxiliary cable hooked up to the radio, so I pulled my music player and set up a song to Raven's amusement and Echo's annoyance.

 

"You guys get what sleep you can. I'm going to keep driving until the battery gets low," I said as I passed Raven the book and pulled out the map that Indra had given me then spread it out across the dashboard. "We should be able to reach there by midday tomorrow if we push it."

 

"Sounds good," Raven replied.

 

I started the engine and drove down the mostly empty road. It was strange to be driving a vehicle again after the six months that I had been here, especially considering it had been how I had died in my past life, but it was like riding a bike; it was not something that I would easily forget. With the music playing and friends in the car, it was almost like my old life when my friends and I would go to a cabin on the lakeside that one of them owned for a weekend getaway. Of course, we were on our way to stop an army from killing our people instead of a pleasure trip, but I was trying to look at the bright side.

 

While I did have roads to follow, none were paved and there were no signs to go off of, just a compass and the map. I was not driving slowly either which meant that we had a bumpy ride, making it hard for Raven and Echo to sleep while Luna seemed to have no trouble unless I hit a really big bump which only happened a few times. The batteries held out until a few hours after dawn, but we had covered most of the distance that we needed to throughout the night.

 

"I'll make a small camp for us if you guys will break out the rations and bedrolls," I suggested while I parked the rover in a sunny patch of grass.

 

"Do you want me to scout the area?" Echo asked.

 

I chuckled, "To think you're actually asking me what to do. You don't need to go too far. It won't take me long and you need some sleep."

 

Echo snorted then headed out the back of the rover with a bow and quiver in her hands. Raven gave me a smirk as she got up and moved to the back end of truck while Luna was sorting through the bench box of where she had been sitting. I climbed out of the car and stretched as I circled around the vehicle. 

 

Thanks to my time working for Azgeda, I could build a small stone hut in a matter of minutes, especially since I left off on entire side instead of making a wall with a doorway. I would just sit in the center of the opening and use my Wind Domain to keep everything comfortable for the others. I did not know what kept them so long, but by the time that Raven and Luna left the rover, I had built the structure and even made raised platforms with a thick layer of soft dirt for them to sleep on.

 

"Wow... we were in there that long?" Raven asked with surprise as she and Luna walked up.

 

I chuckled, "Did you think I just sat around on my butt for the three months that I was in the Ice Nation? I was creating buildings and constructing a giant wall around their capital. My Earth powers are about five times as strong as when we took down Mount Weather, probably even more now, but I haven't really tested them recently."

 

"Do you want me to stop being impressed with you?" Raven retorted.

 

"Never," I replied with a smile as I moved to wrap my arms around her.

 

She avoided my arms with a smirk and carried over the bedrolls to the platforms while I was left giving her a wry smile. Luna walked over with a bag on her shoulder then handed me a packet of rations.

 

"I can keep watch while you sleep," Luna offered.

 

"You don't have to. Meditation can replace my sleep, and my Domains can watch the area during that time. If you want to, you can, but you don't have to," I replied.

 

"Domains?"

 

"My powers work off the elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. I can control the Earth and Wind around me to get a picture of the world around me which I call my Domains. Earth can stretch out about a hundred feet around me now, and Wind is nearly twenty feet, if I focus on it. It's a little ridiculous with what I can do these days."

 

Luna looked surprised by my claims and asked, "Is Lexa able to do the same thing?"

 

"In time, probably, but she has only just started practicing my powers. Her powers involve superspeed and some kind of teleportation, but I haven't been able to figure out that power yet."

 

She let out a slow sigh and said, "I always thought that I would have won our Conclave, but I guess that was just my arrogance."

 

"Think of it as Fate. If you had stayed back then, you wouldn't be able to help us now nor would you have your family. Focus on the positive and the future; that's how I get through my days," I replied with a light smile.

 

She returned my smile and headed into the little shelter. Echo returned a few minutes later with nothing to report, so she took the last empty platform and laid down. I settled down into a meditative position and stretched out my Domains, more so my Earth to watch the area around us while the Wind I kept small to keep everything comfortable. We would head out again once the batteries were recharged, so I did not want to waste more mana than I could recover while I meditated. Like Lexa, I had a feeling that this would not end quietly.

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