Chapter 62: Ch. 62 – Settling into the Peaceful Life

The next day, we headed into the valley once again, but unfortunately, we were not following a road, so we stopped rather quickly due to the thick forest. Echo and Raven were left with the rover while Katye and I split up and scouted the forest at high speed. There had been a village where Clarke had lived with Madi that was near a spring or river that had fish, so we wanted to set up there. It would help draw in Madi, who was just a young child, and, hopefully, allow us to take her to the bunker where she can be raised with other children her age.

 

It took a few hours, since the village was so deep in the valley, but Katye found it and the shortest way through the forest. We met back up at the rover and Katye took the lead while I knocked down the occasional tree to make a path for the truck. Eventually, either Katye or I would turn this into a real, stone road, but for now, I settled for chopping down the trees and then digging out the stumps, so that the truck and sled would have no problems.

 

Thankfully, I did not have to do it the whole way there. After half a mile, the forest opened up to a small grassland, so we got back inside, and Katye directed the rest of the way. As nice as it was to reach the village where we would be living for the next six years, there was another task that we had to handle first.

 

The bodies of the previous residents were scattered all through the village, killed by the radiation. Raven and Echo made a large funeral pyre while Katye and I used our powers to gather the bodies together without touching them directly. The death ritual for the Louwoda Kliron people was similar to Trikru, so we gave them a proper send off before burning their bodies.

 

Raven and I claimed one of the small buildings while Katye and Echo took another that was nearby, but not next to us. We spent the evening unloading the rover and ate dinner together, outside. Both Katye and I had been able to sense her coming close, but Madi always kept her distance and would retreat if anyone started moving in her direction.

 

"So... What are we going to do about the kid?" I asked as I sensed Madi moving out of my Earth Domain.

 

"Nothing for now. She's old enough to know what it means to be a Natblida, so she won't trust us easily. We just need to live our lives and wait for her to approach us on her own... and probably keep locks on our food and anything else that's important. As I recall, Clarke only realized that there was someone else in the valley when things started going missing," Katye replied.

 

"Alright, I'll create a stone storage room in the morning where we can put things that we don't need right away. My metal is a good substitute lock," I agreed.

 

"Don't you think that's a little harsh? She's just a little kid and we have plenty of food," Raven asked.

 

"Aside from the fact that she has the ability to hunt and fish herself, where do you think she is sleeping tonight? Out in the woods, alone, exposed, and scared. I'm not saying we can't give her food, just that we don't need to let her have the ability to steal it. The sooner that she comes to us, the better," Katye retorted.

 

"Fine, I see your point," Raven sighed.

 

"Anyways..." I said, changing the subject, "I plan on taking tomorrow off. The storage shed will take a few minutes and I'll help move everything in, but after that, I plan on enjoying the rest of the day by the river and doing nothing productive or deadly."

 

That got a chuckle out of Katye and Raven while Echo simply rolled her eyes.

 

"Take a couple of days off if you want, but we need you to create the wire to run between the bunkers. I can help, but we need miles worth of it, and even more if we want to make a relay station for us. Despite Earth being my natural affinity, you are still much stronger than me with the elements, and I have yet to make my own first piece of metal," Katye said.

 

"Yeah, yeah... I'll start the day after, so long as you are working next to me. I want to make sure that you aren't sneaking off to search for the treasure. We can start looking for the new crazy challenge after we have secured the bunkers and Arkadia," I replied.

 

"Fair enough," Katye sighed. "I can wait a month or two, but we need to find the entrance and you know it. Your summon said it himself, whoever placed the treasure wants it to be found."

 

Waving my hand in acknowledgement, I agreed, "Two months of focusing on making wire for the bunker and our relay station then I will help you without complaining with finding the entrance."

 

"Deal."

 

"Good, then on that note, I'll bid you goodnight," I said with a smile.

 

I stood up and Raven was just a beat behind me. We walked together, arm in arm, back to our little house and enjoyed a wonderful night together. The next day, after building the shed and storing important things like the gaming systems and spare solar panels, everyone joined me down by the river, though it seemed Echo had been convinced by Katye.

 

On the bank, Katye and I created a full beach furniture setup out of stone, complete with a small gazebo and lounge chairs in and out of the sun. Raven and I had brought some extra pillows and blankets and used that to soften the chairs further since stone furniture was not the most comfortable. Echo had brought her bow and Katye had brought a small kit of seasonings, so we planned on staying the whole day down by the water, catching our dinner instead of eating rations.

 

We swam for a couple of hours then lounged about in the chairs. As the sun started to get low in the sky, Echo pulled out her bow and tied a cord around the end of one of her arrows. She perched herself on a large rock that was near the bank and watched the water with the arrow knocked on her bow. It took a few minutes, but she drew back the string and shot an arrow into the water.

 

"Impressive," I commented as she pulled a large fish out of the water.

 

"Are you going to catch your own dinner?" Echo taunted, jumping off the boulder.

 

"Didn't the last time that you made that challenge end with me making you look like a fool? What was it, two boars about two hundred pounds, that I killed before you had the chance," I retorted while I stood up.

 

"You blocked my arrow." 

 

"You would have just hit an already dying animal and tried to claim the credit for the kill," I shot back.

 

"Enough you two. It doesn't matter who is the better hunter, warrior, or whatever else you decided to compete against the other in," Katye chided. "We're living together for the next six years, so you need to get along."

 

I chuckled as I walked down to the riverside, "Some of us just like to compete, you know. Echo might not admit it, but she enjoys the occasional challenge and so do I."

 

"Let's see you match my skill without relying on your powers," Echo retorted.

 

I did not reply as I stepped into the water then spread my senses out. Water was currently my weakest element since I had practiced it the least, but the Water Domain spell was on level with the Earth Domain, so it was not difficult to get a picture of the river within my mind, once I touched it. I could sense a number of fish nearby, so I manipulated the water with my mana and corralled them into a group then raised a hand up. A large sphere of water floated up, out of the river, with a dozen fish inside. We did not need that many, so I let chunks of water fall while I focused on keeping the four largest fishes trapped in the globe of water.

 

"I won't deny that you are more skilled than me without them, but why not use the gifts that I was given?" I chuckled, sending the fish over onto the dry bank.

 

Katye shook her head while I killed the fishes with a simple spell, so that they would not suffer longer than necessary. Echo and I cleaned our kills, with her helping me after she finished her lone one. Katye might be worried that our competitiveness might strain our relationship, but I knew Echo well enough to know that I was fine. If we truly had peace for the next six years, Echo would have some difficulties adjusting to our new life since she had been used as a weapon for so long. She needed someone who would spar with her, both verbally and physically, to let out the stress that she let bottle up.

 

Katye started cooking the fish over a stone grill while Echo sat down near her, and I settled down with Raven. While I searched through my music player for something, I stretched out my Earth Domain, looking for a sneaky young girl. She was closer than I would have expected, especially with me using my powers so openly, but then again, she was probably still young enough to be amazed and intrigued by them.

 

"Found her yet?" Katye asked.

 

"Mmhmm... in the bushes, two o'clock from us," I replied quietly.

 

"Good, do you want to make a table for us and leave her a seat, just in case? She'll join us one day if we leave her a spot."

 

"Going to ask me to set it next?" I retorted.

 

"That's a good idea, please do."

 

I sighed while Raven chuckled at my annoyance. Stretching out my Earth powers, I created a round table next to the pavilion with five chairs without moving from my seat with Raven leaning against my chest. The plates and silverware took a bit more focus, so I created them next to me, one at a time, then floated them over to the table.

 

"How did you live before you got those powers?" Katye teased.

 

"In a sparse, tiny studio apartment and plenty of fast food since you already know my cooking ability," I retorted. "Most of my friends were online, so I just stayed holed up in my place, playing video games, or working in my dead-end, cubicle job."

You are reading story The 100: Rise of the Elemental Warrior at novel35.com

 

"Why am I not surprised?" Katye chuckled.

 

"I'm surprised that she had friends," Echo chimed in.

 

I rolled my eyes, but Katye did not let the opportunity to tease me pass and explained, "She said her friends were online, so she probably never met any of them in person. The Old World had the internet which connected most people all over the world through social media and gaming systems."

 

"Online friends can be the same as real friends," I retorted.

 

"True, but how many names did you know, and gamertag nicknames don't count?" she taunted.

 

I gave a huff, unable to refute her remarks any longer, and rested my head against Raven. My reaction got the others laughing, including Raven, but it did not bother me really. At this point, my past life was only a memory and, as terrible as some of the situations that I faced here were, I had never been happier or felt more alive. I had far more here than I ever had before.

 

When Katye finished cooking, we all ate around the table and left one plate set up for Madi. None of us expected her to come out and eat with us tonight, but just like the pillows and blankets, we were leaving it here for her to have after we left. After we finished our meal, Katye and Echo headed back first while Raven and I stayed behind and washed the dishes.

 

"So, what am I supposed to do while you and Katye are working on making the wire for the bunkers?" Raven asked as we sat by the river.

 

"I dunno," I chuckled with a shrug. "I don't really know what to do with myself. When was the last time that we weren't facing some kind of disaster?"

 

"There is still that treasure under us. Katye could always try to take it without you knowing it."

 

"She wouldn't, and I highly doubt that she could do it without me."

 

She sighed as she rested her head on my shoulder and asked, "What's left that I don't know about your past? I can understand that you two have a bond with your situation, but wasn't Iseto the same?"

 

I held her hand while I looked up at the darkening sky and answered, "The person who placed us here claimed to be my brother from my past life. He gave me the powers that I asked for from a bedtime story he used to tell me, and they work even better than they did in the book. Katye was another Soul that he had chosen and placed her here with me. With the knowledge of the timeline, we were obviously meant to work with each other, considering 'who' he made us. Things could have been a lot harder if we had been anyone else."

 

"Then is there a reason why he did all of this?" Raven asked, sitting up and looking at me.

 

"If I train and practice enough, I'll be able to join him as a member of his pantheon to repay the favor. I'm not really sure what that means because he did not elaborate, since he said that it was a long time off... but I do feel like I owe him, especially if he really was my brother, Tori. I never really felt alive in my old life... I always hid, took a step back, and never fought for anything that I wanted. I learned how to stand up for myself because I came here. I met you because I came here."

 

"Then you're leaving me."

 

I sighed, "Not any time soon, and not by choice... but he will come for us at some point, I know. I told myself that if I survived the battle with Iseto that I was done hiding things from you, but I didn't really know how to start this conversation with you."

 

"I guess I really am cursed in love," Raven sighed as leaned back and looked out over the water.

 

"I'm sorry, Raven... I never meant..."

 

"I'm not made mad, Rebecca, and I wouldn't change anything either," she said, cutting me off, as she placed a hand on my thigh. "I love you and nothing can change that."

 

I brushed her cheek with my fingers then drew her in close so that I could kiss her. She returned it with no hesitation, which did a lot to ease my fears. We had been quick friends, and quick lovers, so the thought that I might lose her scared me, but I also would not blame her if she wanted to leave. Knowing that I would be leaving at some undefined point was not easy to handle, and she had already dealt with a lot of problems that being with me had caused.

 

We went back to our little house and went to sleep. The next day, Katye and I started crafting the metal wire for the bunkers. I had to teach her the general idea behind creating the metal, but Katye picked it up quickly though she was still much slower than me. We were smart enough to move away from the village area since we were taking away so much of the dirt, but it did not take long before we hit the five-foot limit downwards.

 

"Do you really think you're going to be able to break through whatever barrier he put up? Tori was never the type to cut corners or let anyone else do it either," I chuckled, sensing Katye probing the barrier that blocked our mana from sinking further yet again.

 

"It doesn't hurt to try," she retorted.

 

"Do you think that we'll be able to stay here for a long time? With Raven and Echo?" I asked after a while.

 

Katye sighed, "I'm not sure... If things follow the timeline of the original plotline, there should be over a hundred and thirty years before we reach the ending of the story. The problem is, without us going to Sanctum, Cadogan would never find out that we have the Flame and, therefore, the code for the Final War. It's in my mind as well, so I could always start it when we are ready, but we both know that things won't likely be that easy. Maybe if I use it before the bunkers can open, we might be able to end this early, but neither of us want that."

 

"Couldn't you just lie to me and say that we are going to have a wonderful, long life with our partners?" I complained, laying back on the ground with a soft thud.

 

She smirked, "There's no point when you know the truth as well. Do you really want to give up on all of this? I mean, we can do things that we only dreamed of, and we get to live in worlds that we loved."

 

"It's not that I want to give up, but I don't want to leave Raven and the rest. I want to see Abby and Kane get together, whether or not Monty will end up with Harper still, who Jasper will end up with since he survived... I may not have loved this world when we first arrived here, but I do now, especially the people that we are close to. You know what I mean?"

 

"I do... This was my favorite show after all, and with Lexa's memories, I can't help but feel like this is my home," Katye agreed.

 

"I swear... If Tori makes us into actual characters of Voyager, I'm done. Once we find the first M-class world, just drop my butt off. I don't want to deal with the memories of another person, and to keep up that level of a lie, I don't know how you have done it as Lexa. I really can't even begin to imagine what it was like to have another person's life in my head; my own has been messed up enough on its own."

 

Katye chuckled, "I get your point. It was hard to adjust to at first, but now, my past life just seems like one of the worlds that we have lived in, and this is where we are currently. Our next life, and any others that he puts us through, are just stepping stones in my mind."

 

"But for what? What end goal do you have in mind? We hold enough power to rule over an entire world, so what is it that you want aside from helping Tori?" I asked.

 

"I don't know," she sighed. "I think I want to explore, see new things... what could the world be like when you were at his level of power? I want to know... well, everything. How could he give us these powers? What other powers exist? What is the limit of the new powers and abilities? I've got so many questions in my mind, and I just want answers."

 

I chuckled and sat up. "I get it; I want to know 'what' I can do. Raven has already called me out on my new obsession with these powers. But... I don't want to forget what it is like to live like this... normal people, albeit with some help. The more power and knowledge we gather, the more complicated our lives become... where does it end?"

 

"When we have the strength to build our own lives and dreams. Tori made this world... what's stopping us from recreating this with our own power when we are at his level?"

 

"Would you recreate Echo?"

 

Katye sighed and looked away. That was the core of this problem. What would happen to them after we left this world? Would they live, would they ascend? Katye and I did not belong in this world, yet here we were. The bonds that we formed with everyone caused as many problems for them as it would for ourselves.

 

"You're really good at ruining the mood, you know," Katye complained.

 

"A talent that I perfected in my past life," I retorted with a chuckle.

 

A/N: If you would like to support me and get early access to the story, join my - Azazii6181?fan_landing=true.

You can find story with these keywords: The 100: Rise of the Elemental Warrior, Read The 100: Rise of the Elemental Warrior, The 100: Rise of the Elemental Warrior novel, The 100: Rise of the Elemental Warrior book, The 100: Rise of the Elemental Warrior story, The 100: Rise of the Elemental Warrior full, The 100: Rise of the Elemental Warrior Latest Chapter