Persphyni : I am Death

22

I grabbed one of her arrows and my quickstart lighter for fires when I go on long trips over night. Tearing a section of cloth from her jacket, I tied it tightly around the arrow head and notched it onto the bow.

Climbing up into a tree, I lit the cloth in flames and aimed. Aimed just in front of where the group was headed in the direction of the large tent, a warning for them to turn around, or the next target would be them.

"For peace." With a breath, I released the arrow. It's path arching high in the sky and spiraling back down. It's orange light, similar to what I would think a firecracker would look. I lowered the bow and watched as the flame arrow sunk into the ground. The cloth burning away as the arrow itself caught on fire.

The group turned and without any warning or sound shot in my direction. I heard the first bullet whiz past the tree telling me to duck behind the trunk of the tree. Three more whizzed below me, but I could tell they were getting closer. I took a chance and moved higher, only to expose myself and give them a target. A target which only one of the shooters hit, and hit with surprisingly good accuracy.

My jaw clenched as I held in a hiss, the bow falling from my hands and I heard more bullets fire towards the moving object. My feet firmly on the branch as I leaned against the trunk and held on to a branch above me with my right hand and applied pressure to my lower left thigh with the left.

The next several minutes were blurs as I waited for the group to leave. My mind going into survival mode as I stayed quiet and attempted to tend to myself. Every sound from a twig snapping to a leaf rustling had me on edge.

When the morning rays began to rise I slowly climbed down from my hiding place. Not bothering to hold back the hisses and sharp cries of pain as I babied my left leg but still used it.

When I finally got down my eyes scanned the field for anyone moving and made sure none of them were from Arkadia. Once I was certain they had all left, I went as fast as possible towards the tent. My feet pounding painfully against the blood soaked ground and awkwardly leaping over bodies until I made it to the large tent where the group had stood.

The sight enraged me as I drew nearer and crouched down to the warrior's height. Grasping her hand as she looked at me with a grimace. My other hand coming up and searched for the point of affliction.

"He's dead." I growled once I saw the bullet through her shoulder that lay underneath her armor.

"He's the reason I'm alive."

"Let me help you clot this up." I spoke, grabbing a hold of my shirt and tearing it again

"You need to leave. The Commander is on her way, if they see you here, they will think you did this. And they will kill you for it." I wrapped the cloth around her shoulder earning a groan and a hiss from her.

"Indra, what is going to happen now?" The woman looked at me and grabbed my hand as I set her armor back up.

"You are going to ride back to Arkadia, get Abby to heal your leg, tell your father what happened here, and prepare for Lexa's request of Chancellor Pike. Only with his death can Skaikru avoid extinction."

"And if I can't bring Pike?" She looked me dead in the eyes.

"If he doesn't die, prepare for war." I saw the double meaning behind her words. If we wouldn't surrender Pike, then I would have to assassinate him. Or, risk my people fighting in a war.

I stood from my awkward crouch and walked off the battlefield. A slight limp as I held back my noises of pain. Pain was simply apart of my life, and it would not get the best of me.

_______•*•*•*•_______

"Thank you, Erebus." I whispered as he stood from his position on the ground. He clearly saw the limp and knew I would have trouble getting up. His small whinny made me smile as I pet his neck.

"Smarty, let's go to Arkadia." Slowly, we made the three mike trek back. My shirt now barely covered my sports bra as I rewrapped my thigh. Blood seeping through my black cargo pants as my jacket was zipped and my cloak hung long to cover my leg.

Once we broke from the forest I was met with yelling inside the gates. I slowed Erebus to a stop as I rose my hands and flicked the hood of my cloak back. My red hair and sword clear signs that it was me if Erebus didn't give it away.

"Stop being stupid! Open the gate." I heard Harper's voice.

"We have to wait for the Chancellor." A male voice responded and I looked up into the watch tower at the two guards with their weapons drawn and the girl beside them.

"It's Persphyni!" I eyed the two guns wearily, but not for my sake. I felt Erebus begin to get antsy as he sensed my worried emotions. Clearly thinking that I thought we were in danger, but I was scared they were going to hit him.

"It's Major Persphyni Kane, Sir." I heard as one of the watchmen called down the ladder.

"Open the gate." That wasn't Pike's voice.

"But-"

"Open the gate."

When the gate opened I was met with a man in a guard jacket whose gun was slung over his shoulder by the strap. My hands slowly lowered back to the reins as he walked out to meet me.

I remained silent, biting my tongue as he approached Erebus. The horse eyeing him wearily giving me a small look to which I nodded. We couldn't be suspicious, we just had to act normal. Like Bellamy hadn't just joined in a massacre.

"Where were you?" He finally asked as he walked up to my right leg and set a hand on Erebus's neck. A hand which was covered in blood from three hundred men and women sent to help us.

"I went to go find a few deer, but something had them spooked. There were none in the area, and I didn't want to go too far north in case Azgeda was marching. But I guess with the Trikru Warriors sent to help us it would have been okay." I saw him nod as he hid his grimace at my shallow dig. But he didn't know I knew, and I had to hide my anger so he wouldn't find out.

"You okay? You're being really quiet? Get pardoned and do something bad already?" Bellamy moved his hand to Erebus's reins and slid them from my hands, a slight glare in his eyes as he avoided my gaze.

"Bellamy? What's wrong?" Other than the fact you massacred an Army causing a whole new war.

"Nothing. Come on, the Chancellor may want to speak with you next." I let Bellamy lead me inside and to Erebus's stall, stopping and waiting for me to dismount once we got just outside of it.

My eyes subconsciously flashed towards my leg and I took a deep breath in hoping he hadn't seen it. If he saw the small flash and watched me dismount from the front, he'd know I was injured.

Shit.