Persphyni: I am Determined

53

"Wanlida?"

"Is that her?"

"Persphyni?"

"The white wolf, she lives!"

Whispers spread like wildfire after my words. My eyes scanning beyond the chainlink fence to see people standing on the chains looking down at the bloody circle below.

I turned back to face Octavia as she pulled apart from Bellamy. My eyes scanning the red stain on her forehead as her shorter black hair framed her matured face. I saw the darkness brewing behind her eyes as she stepped towards me.

"Via." I whispered, stunned by the scene.

"Pers." She wrapped me in a hug. My arms circling around her as I held her tight to me. I looked at my hands around her and saw bloodied stains, chains around my wrists. My eyes blinking as I got rid of the sight.

I shouldn't have left. She wasn't ready to lead. I shouldn't have made her carry this weight. I've let the darkness consume her. I held her tighter as I tried to express my apology without words. I did this.

I pulled away from her and stared into her eyes. This is all my fault.

"I'm sorry." I spoke quietly as murmurs continued through the chamber.

I saw her smile fade as her eyes flashed with pain. It's only been a minute since I looked at her and this bunker, and I know something dark and sinister lives here. Something bred by seeds and sins of my past.

I looked past her shoulder to see Indra who stood with a face of stone. Her eyes tired as she made eye contact with me. I could see the weakness in her gaze as I studied her.

Something horrible has happened down here. And I haven't even heard the rest of the story from Bellamy or given him the full run-down from my perspective.

I moved closer to Bellamy as Diyoza and McCreary began to come down. I stepped closer to Bellamy as I kept a hand on my dagger as they came down. I could strike them here and now. Then I'd never have to worry about the two again. But it wasn't smart. It wasn't safe.

Not yet.

"Who are they?" Octavia's voice was raspy and low as she eyes the two new people with deadly caution.

"We're here to rescue you." I held back my scoff as I looked up towards the chain fence. My eyes scanning the crowd as I looked for a familiar face. But I was for a loss.

"Why are you armed?" I glanced back towards the slowly rising conflict. My hand resting on the hilt of my dagger as I watched every little movement.

"O." Bellamy stepped to grab her, "O. It's okay. We have an understanding."

"Before we get into that, where is my mom?"

"I'll take her to her mother." I nodded at Indra even though she wasn't speaking to me. I wanted her to know that I would watch Octavia. Though I knew she wouldn't need to be protected, I felt she would need to be stopped.

"So I take it you're his sister." Diyoza spoke my gaze shifting back to hers as I stepped backwards slightly. Moving closer to the shadows and away from the large stain of red on the floor.

"Yes. Sorry. Octavia, this is Colonel Diyoza." Bellamy introduced them as my eyes took everything in. There wasn't much to say and there wasn't much to do.

"Colonel?"

"Used to be." Diyoza answered Octavia's question, "love the war paint by the way."

I wanted to tell Diyoza it was blood, but I decided she would figure it out soon enough.

"Okay, so how do we do this?" I asked, cutting through the silence as I walked back towards the group.

"Two at a time." Diyoza chirped. As she gave me a sickly sweet smile. As if she wasn't just shocking me. "Why don't you people round up your things. And we'll get started as soon as we're ready topside?" Diyoza rose her voice to answer the people in the stands of the arena.

"They aren't going to do shit if it comes from your mouth." I muttered before looking to Octavia. "Via, let's get your pale ass into the sunlight again." Octavia grinned before she looked up towards the crowd and jerked her head, giving a non-verbal command to disperse and gather their things.

"I'm going back up first." I spoke stepping forward towards the rope. "I'll make sure things 'topside' are smooth. Then we are going to get everyone out of here, how does that sound?" Octavia smiled at me.

"Pretty damn good." I gave her a smile in response though wiped it off when I remembered the circumstances.

"You two stay down here to make sure my people are safe getting up. If even one of you come up with more people still down here, I'll gut you." I threatened as I reclipped the rope to my harness. "I'll toss the harness back down once I'm up." Diyoza nodded as we only had six harness, five currently being worn and only two ropes, so it didn't matter as long as there was two harnesses available.

"If you leave without us, my men have orders to kill." Diyoza spoke in my ear as she checked the knot.

"Don't worry. If we were to leave without you, I would have killed them already. But here," I pulled Lincoln's dagger from my sheath and held it to my left hand, the gash making me bleed black blood as it began to trickle down my palm and wrist.

"I swear I will uphold my promise that we shall not leave until you have both made it to the surface." I stuck my left hand out to Diyoza. Her eyes scrutinizing as she debated what to do.

"I don't shake with my left hand." I smiled, and kept my palm extended.

"It wasn't for a handshake. It was for you to see that I meant every word I said. If I'm willing to harm myself to swear, then you should assume I keep my promises. You can be the judge of that once we get everyone from the bunker." I grabbed ahold of the rope with my right hand and part of my long sleeve black shirt with my left.

"I shall."

I nodded to Diyoza then tugged gently on the rope before being risen up in the air.

"How many people should we prepare for extraction?" McCreary asked as I began my ascent.

"1,200." Subtract a few.

"814." Octavia bit back. The air stopped in my lungs. Nearly 400 people. I should have checked up on my dad. But I didn't want to endanger him or find out something bad had happened and have that emotion blind my rational thought.

I will find out soon enough.