Chapter 1: Welcome to the New Age
Pain. That was the last thing she remembered. Pain. That was the first thing she felt upon waking up. Hands wrapped around her neck causing her aching body to burn with more agony than before. Her tense arms stretched out as far as possible trying to find something to grab and bash into the head of her villain. Nothing, nothing at all. Get her off you. A voice floated in her mind.
She torqued her hips tossing her and the faceless girl pinning her down onto the ground. The brunette released as Cora let out a small cry her side aching. They desperately fought over trying to get on top of one another as a throbbing pain flooded her veins. The mysterious girl quickly scrambled to her knees watching as the blonde crawled away desperately. Her hands latched onto the Cora's ankles aggressively pulling her back flipping her over as well.
Cora cried out again her throat burning in its raw state. The girl let off her fury into Cora's face, all at once the blonde felt a rush of adrenaline surge through her body and quickly reached up pulling the girl off by her hair almost throwing her in anger. She scrambled to get up quickly pinning the brunette and began feeling every piece of rage exploit from beneath her scabbed knuckles to release the anger on the girls face.
Punch after punch it felt as if she couldn't let go of it all in just this sitting. Blood coated the unknowns' cheeks not from the punches as much as Cora's broken knuckles. The brunette, who was much healthier than the blonde, drove her fist in to the side of the blonde, her healing wound hit as she shouted out in agony. The blonde curled over holding her side, in result she tried to pull herself away. The girl with a deadly grip latched onto Cora's ankles pulling her back into her reach. The attack started again before a voice shouted out causing the warrior to look up.
It was a foreign tongue to the blonde but it had stopped the beating, which she was restful for. They spoke back and forth the girl on top of Cora shouting in anger. Meanwhile the other voice happened to be a woman's, she was calm and composed. After what seemed like minutes of arguing the younger girl left. "Get up." The words were solid as the woman stood in the doorway of the room. "If you can mentally and physically push yourself and my kin off of a table. You can get up." She spoke roughly watching as the girl pushed herself up on to her knees, she paused a moment regaining her breath.
The adrenaline had faded and moving had physically hurt her. She exhaled once more before using a great amount of energy to push herself up. "Who are you?" She asked, quickly wincing hearing her own unfamiliar voice. It was as if she was getting over a terrible cold, she could possibly consume a whole bag of cough drops and have no change.
"My name is Scarlett, my people attacked yours a day ago, you escaped of sorts. Do you remember any of this?" The woman spoke in a comforting tone, it sounded like Abby's when she used her medical-motherly voice.
Cora nodded curtly not wanting to speak again, she examined the woman. She was short, had hair that was cut to her shoulders, her eyes were a hazel with a blue firework exploding from her iris. "Good. What's your name?"
She attempted to clear her throat feeling a burning sensation, "Cora."
"You are of the sky people no?"
"No," she shot back quickly, "I am of the 100, most of the people in the sky don't favor some of my crimes." Breath Cora. She mentally regained strength. "I'm what you'd call a trouble maker."
The woman only grinned and walked out of the room. "Come with me." Cora watched as she left before pacing her walk to catch up to the woman. Her stride was tall for such a short woman. She was muscular, but not in an unattractive way. They walked out into a dining room like area. Dimly lit, but had a long table with candles illuminating the food and seats. The blonde quickly saw there was more than just empty seats, there was people, living breathing people sitting and getting ready to dine.
"You were greatly injured durning your battle but my son found you in time. Felt the need to bring you back to my home, and I do not just let in random strangers." She said walking over to a seat pulling it out for the blue-eyed grace. She nodded a thank you sitting down feeling three sets of eyes on her limp body. She kept her head down, she knew they were grounders, they way they dressed, every part of her body screamed, run while you can. Yet, she felt a sense of security within the vicinity of Scarlett.
There were hushed words exchanged between two of the four grounders in the room the boy and girl looked close in age, the boy older. She glanced up, carefully speaking. "Thank you. For saving my life," the conversation ended abruptly the girl who had a bit of a blood stained cheek muttered something only the smaller boy next to her heard.
The little boy rolled his eyes before skillfully using his spoon as a sling shot hitting the girl in the middle with potatoes, in the face. Cora resisted a giggle, as the mother was quick to scold. "Kenai! Apologize."
The boy with brown curls groaned, "sorry for your inability to get over the fact that your precious boyfriend left you to fight a war which he died it."
"Oh god," the oldest boy muttered as the girl in the middle slammed her fist into the table. Words left her lips which Cora did not understand, she glanced at the older boy. He looked different from the rest. He was more mature, his brown hair wasn't as curly, and his build was easy to look at. Her eyes met his, his hazel eyes cause her heard to tilt between the fighting of the other three, he sparked her interests. He pursed his lips slightly before speaking, "Sitka." He said audible for her ears.
"Cora," her voice hurt but it almost sound normal. "Thank you."
He nodded as the arguing died, "Cora, this is my youngest, Kenai. My daughter Athena, and my oldest, Sitka." She paused for a moment as Cora took in their faces, sure she had seen all of them but now she had the chance to see the few tattoos the oldest siblings had.
"How did you survive?" The youngest asked curious.
"Ke–"
"It's fine," Cora spoke painfully over the woman. "Before the ship, before it took off me and two leaders all realized that we weren't going to all make it. So I um, distracted the people trying to kill us and ran. I guess I just wasn't in the range of the fire." She spoke ducking her head after.
"She should've been," the middle child responded, the oldest was quick to roughly step on her foot as he ate.
"The ink on your arm," she spoke towards the girl who had a burning hate towards the blonde, "Whats' it mean?"
"None of your business."
"I mean if you're going to murder me in my sleep I think I deserve to know a little bit about you." She shot back just moving the food around with her fork.
"Well maybe if you would've burned in the fire like the rest of your pathetic excuse of warriors I wouldn't have too."
"Well maybe, if you didn't spear my friend the first day we got here. We wouldn't have burned a village to the ground," she said spitefully knowing that's not how it went only wanting to cause the girl some sort of pain.
"You–" her language shifted as she threw the table standing up with it. Cora quickly reacted grabbing a knife ready for round two. Quickly the older brother grabbed his screaming sister by the waist pulling her back. Cora kept a firm grip on her weapon controlling her breathing. "You'll pay, do you hear me? You'll pay for everything you did."
Cora shook her head and then dropped the knife quickly finding an exit, pushing the door through she felt fresh air infiltrate her lungs. Her eyes closed as she imagined the first time they landed on the ground. Seeing way Octavia opened her arms letting every bit of moisture engulf her rather dull clothing. The feeling of running on dirt, the marks trees left after falling.
Her senses snapped as she felt a hand on her shoulder, and suddenly she grabbed the hand twisting it behind the body and pushing their face into a wall. Cora quickly let go seeing that it was the woman with short hair she was holding captive. "Oh god– I'm so sorry."
Scarlett rotated her arm. "You're strong willed, it's a good thing. And as for my daughter, she'll get over the pain, he wasn't that good of a man."
"I don't blame her, it's the aftermath of war," Cora said raking her hands through her dirty hair facing out towards the dark night woods.
"Cora, I want to help you get back your strength, and then I want to help you grow."
"One question," she faced Scarlett, "why do you want to help me?"
The older woman created a long silence, then she glanced up at the blonde, "because I see a girl trying to fix herself but doesn't know where to start."
She clenched her jaw considering her options. She could run although with the injuries she wouldn't get very far. before nodding, "Okay."
"Come on let's get you inside," she stuck out her hand the younger girl hesitantly took it, as she lead lead them inside to a different part of the building. "Here are some clothes you can sleep in, we'll wake you for breakfast, then your training begins. Can you find your way back to the room you came from?"
"Yeah. Um–Scarlett, thanks." She simply nodded and with that Cora walked back to the room she originally woke in.
• • •
Changing out of her tattered top, her worn jeans and boots into a softer dress. It's fabric felt gentle on her dry skin, it overlapped her ankles grazing the ground. It was a soft blue with red flowers climbing up the sleeves. She laid down into the bed she had threw herself out of no less than 45 minutes ago. It wasn't as far as she thought earlier, although given the pain and uncertainty it felt as if she might've been falling to her death. She leaned her head against a pillow picking up the blanket on the side of the bed to exhausted to actually get up.
Her mind raced to the million and one things she's had been avoiding thinking about allowing her body minimal sleep unless she actually allowed herself to revisit what happened. Did Clarke, Miller, Jasper survive? Did Lucy actually stay in the drop ship? Was Raven alive? Did Finn and Bellamy burn in the fire?
Did Bellamy burn in the fire?
And if he did what would happen? Was she never going to see his cheeky smile when things were alright. Or elbow him when he said that one thing that was borderline funny, borderline mean. Would she ever feel his soft touch against her skin again. She'd never hear his living breathing voice, instead she'd have a burning memory of what it used to sound like. His soft lips against hers just because they could be. The forest within his eyes would be burned to ash and charcoal. Every thing just, gone.
Her body jolted upward immediately caught by a set of hands that were carefully placed on her shoulders. Blue eyes met with hazel globes in mists of the dark, "Relax, you were throwing a fit I came to make sure my sister wasn't trying to kill you, again."
"Oh, thanks," she said running her shaky fingers though her hair. The blonde eased her breathing glancing at Sitka."It was you, wasn't it?" She shifted her gaze at the floor to him. Examining his jaw line, the slight scruff on his face, his brown curls that fell forward in his sleepy state. He made eye contact with a questioning look. "You grabbed me, brought me here."
There was an exchange of silence, "in the aftermath of ashes my mom saw you. My father he'd, he died after telling us to leave, so in result we found you. When I asked her why she just, well she looked at me dead in the eye and told you'd save us. What it means I have no clue but my mom doesn't exactly say that about just anyone; but she's also a little crazy so who knows."
Cora's lips tugged at a grin before nodding, "okay. So if I'm some supposed badass I wanna know how to shoot a bow and arrow. There was a class on the ark but they were much help considering the old fart slept half the time." Her mind races backed to Alex when he would stay up later with her just help her become something besides just another waste of air. The
"I'll teach you," he paused as they exchanged a small glance, "but you need to cleanse your body first cause girl, you stink." All she could was give a soft grin and nod.
"Agreed."
"Get some sleep Cora, you'll need it."
She nodded shifting so that her body was perfectly aligned so that she wouldn't be in to much pain. The blonde quickly faded back into sleep feeling a strange sense of security in the new building.
• •
Dawn came and a small amount of sunlight pushed through the blackened window. She swung her feet so they hovered over the floor, her body didn't wanna go any farther but her mind was set. Moving she quickly dressed walking out pinning her hair up realizing how gross it actually was. She moved about the room almost in a pacing manner when the door opened, she stopped dead in her tracks looking at the door finding a small frame standing there.
"Hey Kenai," she spoke delicately giving a small wave.
"My mom wants to see you, if that wasn't obvious."
She only gave a half hearted laugh and walked towards the boy, exiting the room. Instead of attempting a real meal she was given an apple by Scarlett and she followed the woman outdoors and through a pathway. Normally the young girl would ask a million questions plus one, but today she felt compelled to say nothing.
The air was refreshing, unsure of how long it's been since the big boom something familiar was nice. They arrived at a cave like place and her brow perked, "You need to clean up, in there is a water spring, go clean up there are some natural soaps in there as well. I'll make sure no one comes in."
"Thanks." She walked into the cave lit by candles, after stripping of her clothing she let her toe sink in feeling the warmth of the water. She entered the natural spring sinking fully beneath the water holding her breath as her muscles relaxed with the heat. Cora resurfaced grabbing a bar of soap starting with her arm washing away dirt exposing her freckle stained skin. She worked off most of the dirt occasionally just laying in the warm water. She could almost feel the pressure of a shower head hitting her back sort of like a back rub. After what felt like hours of relaxing she got out grabbing the single cloth using it to dry her body.
Slipping her clothes back on as her hair slightly dripped onto her shoulders. "Thank you," she spoke softly walking out into the chilly air feeling it hit her wet shoulders.
"Well I'm glad you enjoyed it, because now, your training begins." She spoke as they walked back towards the active village. The blonde couldn't help but smile, it'd been awhile since she'd done real training with someone. "The thing is Cora, after you fight well, we're going to make you mentally strong. Every memory you've ever suppressed, we're going to uproot it and help it make you stronger." With that, Scarlett walked off leaving the blue-eyed warrior frozen in her place.
"Every memory..."
~
Hey everybody [we don't have to live this way, we can all get paid] I'm back. Whole New story hot damn.
Saying Chapter feels kinda funny. Anyways I hope you liked this chapter there will be a new one posted soon within 3-7 days hopefully I can figure out a system.
The song for the chapter is....
Radioactive, Imagine Dragons: "we're back bitches... Now where the hell are we?"
-Note that the singer in the video isn't actually the band Imagine Dragons.
Thank you guys for reading and can't wait for you to see what's in store!