CHAPTER FOUR - THE COMMANDER AND THE THIEF
( FEBRUARY 24th, 2150 — POLIS )
EVERYONE KNEW THAT PHOENIX AND COMMANDER LEXA WERE INSEPARABLE.
The two young women found each-other at the worst timing that would make any other warrior cringe who was lucky enough to hear the story from Phoenix's lips. She could vividly remember the day she had accidentally ran right into the newly crowned Commander, just a year after she had won the conclave.
Phoenix would still remember how Lexa's green eyes had glimmered in the sunlight when her rusted sword clanked against the stone roads of the market, beneath Polis. The sword had been passed down from generations on her father's side, a family heirloom that she still wished she had kept. The pelts she had stolen from one of the market stands were now spilling out of her bag, and Lexa looked down at her with interest as Phoenix bowed down onto her knees.
"I do hope that you bartered for those pelts. Stealing from the clans is punishable by banishment." Lexa told her while her guard, Gustus looked down at the fourteen year old with distrust in his eyes.
"Forgive me Heda—" Phoenix's voice shook as she kept her eyes towards the ground.
"—Heda, we should not continue conversation with children of traitors if we want to unite the clans." Gustus put his hand in front of the Commander while looking down at the child, while Lexa gave him a side glare.
Phoenix hated that name, and she hated it even more when people would whisper it as she walked past the market.
"Child of a traitor?" Lexa whispered while looking back at her guard, her gaze looked back at the brunette for a second as she learned that her father had been a royal guard for Queen Nia, but had been banished due to falling in love with a Trikru warrior.
Gustus had insisted that the Commander banish the young thief but Lexa's stone expression stared down at the seventeen year old, her finger's making a request for her guard to quiet down. If a young woman could get in and out of a crowded market with stolen goods in her possession, then this young girl could be more valuable alive than dead, besides, Lexa felt herself gravitating towards her.
Gustus had tried to reason with Lexa that this would be disastrous decision, stating that traitors blood was infecting her veins but Lexa could see a teenage girl trapped in a world that she did not want to live in.
Months had passed quickly as Lexa taught Phoenix everything she knew about hand to hand combat, fighting techniques, and how to fight on a battle field. Even when the training occurred, the war happening outside the Trikru borders didn't cease and the Ice Nation fought for Phoenix's home, their lands. That was when Costia had been captured by the Ice Nation queen as Phoenix took her to battle.
Lexa would have never admitted it into open air, but she blamed Phoenix for her capture because she was not there to keep her safe. Instead of addressing her feelings, Lexa had built walls around her emotions, and declared that the war should only be focused on one thing, and that was Mount Weather.
Lexa had spent a year telling herself that love was a weakness, that Costia was tortured and killed because of what the Ice Nation thought she knew. A year of putting the past behind her and focusing on a better future, and that future was the forming of the Coalition.
Phoenix could not understand why Lexa included the Ice Nation in the Coalition after what happened to Costia, and it only strained their relationship until The Sky People had landed on Earth. They found common ground and found each other once again after the strange people from space began to kill their warriors while crossing their borders.
Soon, Lexa and Phoenix's bond grew and the duo became a to be reckoned with but even the strongest bonds break when a woman is brought between them.
Phoenix's brown eyes looked upon Clarke's face, the blonde swallowed the lump growing in her throat at just the mention of her name. Phoenix's eyes hardened instantly as she studied her body language: the way her jaw tightened, her blue eyes watering just slightly. It was clear as day.
"How could someone let this happen?" her voice was demanding, as hurt covered her features.
Asteria stepped toward to relieve some of the tension but Phoenix only stepped backwards, "There was nothing we could do, Seda."
Phoenix backed away while shaking her head. "You were suppose to protect her!" Phoenix's words came out sharp as she blamed Indra. "We all had a duty to serve our Commander and you failed!"
"Without Lexa, the clans will never have peace! The Coalition was her idea." Phoenix wouldn't dare let the salty water drop onto her cheeks as she shared back at Indra, whose expression was rock solid but Phoenix knew she felt guilty, she could see it in her stare.
"I tried to save her, Phoenix but it was too late." Clarke whispered underneath her breath which made the brunette turn towards her figure, her gaze hardening instantly. "Titus meant to kill me but—"
"IT WAS YOU!" Phoenix's sharp blade was instantly pointing towards her neck, which made Clarke raise both of her hands in defense. Bellamy instantly stiffened as she pointed her knife at Clarke. "First the missiles at TonDC, then you brought A.L.I.E, and now our Commander is dead—MURDERED!"
Clarke's blue eyes were wide as Phoenix launched herself towards the blonde, trapping her against the knife at her neck and the wall behind her. If Clarke happened to move just an inch, Phoenix's blade would taste Wanheda's blessed blood.
Phoenix's vision was blurred with rage, it was like a deadly disease that spread throughout her whole body, and Clarke knew she was looking into the eyes of a deadly killer. "I didn't mean for anything to happen to her, Phoenix. I loved her." Clarke's voice was strained as her hand wrapped around her neck, throwing her into the wall.
"You're going to kill her!" Bellamy instantly stepped forward, his arms wrapping around her mid-section to pull her off of Clarke which only resulted in Phoenix launching her left elbow towards Bellamy's shoulder. "Phoenix, let go of her."
Bellamy's shoulder was probably going to have a bruise the next day but despite the tiny ache he pulled the Trikru warrior off of Clarke. Phoenix grunted out of annoyance as Clarke slid down the wall, her hand was around her neck as she struggled to regain her breath. Asteria's light colored eyes were widened in terror, her hands blocking Clarke's mother from interfering.
Phoenix looked around at the small group that had been put on edge because of her threats. Bellamy was standing in front of Clarke now, giving her a side-eye while making sure the blonde was okay. Abby was standing there unsure of what to do, or how to approach the situation while Octavia was just watching with a stone faced expression.
"As long as you stand by this murderer, Indra. I won't help you. Not while Wanheda still wanders this Earth." Phoenix shook her head and moved her two feet towards the door, until Indra stuck out her hand, grabbing onto Phoenix's wrist with such force to keep her from walking off.
"The time of Lexa kom Trikru is over, Phoenix. You need to accept the fact that she's no longer with us." Indra spoke into her ear while looking over at Clarke. "You are the only one with the influence over the clans, we need you."
Phoenix looked up at Indra with distrust in her eyes. She had unwillingly helped the Sky People several times in the past because of her Commander, the last thing she wanted to do was surrender to the Queen's son, who would take her head gladly.
"I make my presence known while Azgeda owns this city, and I'm as good as dead." Phoenix turned her head towards Bellamy. "We will all be dead."
"Wanheda has the flame." Asteria spoke out, her voice quiet and timid. Phoenix's gaze drifted down to Clarke who stared back at her with distrust. "As soon as you give the flame to Roan, he kills us all." Phoenix states, "Let me see the flame."
Clarke looks towards Bellamy who nods quickly. Phoenix watches as she pulls out a small tin box that has the Commander's symbol on top and instantly, her breath left her lungs. Lexa was in there, she knew that. Lexa would tell her stories that she would be able to see the past Commanders.
Phoenix eyed the blonde in front of her as Clarke was looking up from the flame. The last piece that was apart of Lexa, still stained with her blood in Wanheda's fingers. Phoenix manages to swallow her pride. She knew that going against her War Chief would draw only but her own blood. "You better know what you're doing, I'm going to need a drink before all of this." Phoenix huffs out of annoyance and walks out of the temple, leaving all of them behind with a more confident look, but Clarke was left with a sadden expression.
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By the time that night had fallen over Polis, Phoenix had finished three drinks at the small tavern. She had decided that she needed more than just her usual amount of confidence to help the Sky People pull this off, especially when her own head was at risk. She was not sure what Azgeda would do if they knew she was in the city, or if they found her already but waited for her to move from the shadows. She did not know, but she decided, even if Azgeda knew she was here, to try to keep eyes away from her.
Most of the injured had been cleared from the main floor, while the people around her still worked on scrubbing the floorboards clean of dried blood. This place looked like a scene of a murder house. Most of the banners had been ripped from the walls, replaced with new ones that had been stored away in an underground storage unit. But Phoenix still loved the place, she could remember her and Lexa sneaking out of the tower in the odd hours of the early morning when they were suppose to be sleeping.
Lexa, that was one woman that crossed her mind more than once today. She wondered how Wanheda managed to pull off such a deed, did her and Titus plan the whole plot but to Phoenix, it didn't make any sense. Flamekeepers were meant to keep the Commanders safe, to guide them during their reign, so why would Titus plot to murder Lexa? It was answers that she didn't have, nor would ever have.
Her own thoughts were interrupted when she heard the sounds of footsteps walking towards her, booming against the wooden boards. A maroon colored hood covered most of the warrior's features as the bartender stopped before her table, a jug of strong whiskey paused over her cup. Phoenix didn't bother to look up at the woman, instead fishing out one of her healing concoctions out onto the table. The liquid splashed onto the table as the bartender filled her cup, and accepted the trade to be more than equal for full cup of liquor.
Phoenix's fingers reached for her cup to lift it to her lips but a hand slammed down onto the top, forcing her hand down to the table. Phoenix's shocked eyes flew upwards, her gaze falling onto the Trishanakru boy she saved from his own demise.
"Can a woman just drink in peace?" Phoenix muttered to herself as she slummed back into her chair, her eyes rolling as Ilian took the chair in front of her.
"You're a hard woman to find—"
"Did you ever think that maybe I don't want to be found?" Phoenix sighed out, bringing the drink to her lips, clenching her teeth together as the liquid burned her throat on the way down.
Ilian's eyes were hard, almost staring blankly into her soul. When Phoenix had first met him back in his village, his eyes were full of emotion. They were easy to read but know they were full of anger. "You said you would help me but you disappeared."
Phoenix's head lifted slightly as she looked at him with amusement. "Help you?" She snorted. "I have my own problems to deal with, much less help you deal with yours."
She saw the way his eye twitched out of annoyance. "You saw the state of the capital when we arrived, because of the technology that the Sky People brought." Ilian explained to her and it was clear what he was after, what he wanted her help for. Revenge.
Phoenix rose from her sitting position at the table, leaning over it to look towards Ilian, "I helped you bury your parents, don't expect my open generosity as friendship." Ilian's jaw clenched out of frustration. He didn't know what he expected to happen, but he didn't think that she would shut him out like this.
"Look, they're dead, we're not." She pushed her half empty cup towards the boy, who looked down at it with question. "Drink and get over it."
And she was gone before he even had a chance to look up from the swirling cup of alcohol, Phoenix quickly made her way out of the tavern, leaving the damaged boy behind her without an inch of regret in her conscience.
Phoenix made her way down the dark cobble stone path where the rest of Skaikru mixed with Trikru warriors were gathered in a small group. She could see Bellamy looking back over his shoulder, waiting for her arrival and when he saw her approaching, he nodded towards her.
"What, afraid I wouldn't show up?" Phoenix cocked her head to the side as he eyed her face from where she stood beside him. Her smirk was teasing as she clamped a hand onto his shoulder.
"It crossed my mind but I'm glad you decided to come." Bellamy gave her a warm smile as she looked over the group, looking for one lady in particular. It was like Bellamy could read her thoughts because the answer for her unsaid question came from his lips. "Asteria is with Octavia."
"Bellamy, pay attention," Indra instructs from beside him, bringing his focus back to her. "She's apart of the royal guard, spies. That's why she's not marked, very dangerous, very loyal." Indra continued to inform.
Bellamy begins to shake his head, staring out into the direction where the Ice Nation were located. "Not to the people who saved her life." Bellamy responded making Phoenix roll her eyes.
"Bellamy, I know how you feel about her, but you can't lose control. You offer them technology, guns. Whatever it takes to keep her talking. Is that clear?" Kane instructed but his words were quickly caught."
"Guns. I never agreed to give them guns." Phoenix announced. She would not let Azgeda hold a possession that would be used to wipe out her people.
Murphy snaked up from behind them and stopped behind Indra. "That's probably because you're not an idiot." he tells the young grounder woman.
"It won't get that far," Kane replies and Phoenix folded her arms over her chest, quirking a brow at the man, wondering what he would say next to calm her nerves. "Our objective is to buy time for Abby to save the king."
"I say we let the king die and kill every Azgeda warrior in this city." Phoenix muttered which made Murphy chuckle under his breath before Kane turned towards him. "If you want to help grab a weapon. Stand post."
"Here, take mine." Bellamy speaks up and removes his gun and hands it over to Murphy, who took it without question.
Phoenix's gaze moved with Bellamy as he begun to walk away, causing her to walk towards him, grabbing his wrist as Bellamy turned around. Phoenix stares at him for a short moment. "I won't be executed under Azgeda rule, Bellamy."
"Have a little faith in me, Phoenix." Bellamy whispers as she brought her hand back from his person. The raven haired woman watches him leave after giving her a weak smile, but she could see that he doubted himself as well.
She could only hope from a distance that this would work in Asteria's favor to resurrect the Ice King, for a reason she wasn't aware of. Phoenix let's out a sigh through her nose as she watched Bellamy meet Echo in the center.
Phoenix couldn't hear them as they were talking in hushed whispers, but Echo didn't look pleased, in all honestly, she looked rather bored with what Bellamy was proposing. Echo looked back at the group that gathered behind Bellamy, her eyes racking over what was left of the Trikru army, and the Sky people that was left in the city. Her eyes stopped upon Phoenix's body, her eyes squinting out of curiousness.
From above the small gathering happening outside, Octavia had successfully killed three of the warriors that had been present in the room. Once the healer had fell from the impact of the spear flying through the air and embedding into his chest, the younger Blake rushed to the door and pulled it open.
"The king is on the table." Octavia told the small group, gesturing towards an unconscious Roan. Clarke and Abby was the first to walk through the doors, and Asteria took her time to walk in, her eyes falling upon the dead warriors.
"It had to be done." Octavia reassured her that killing them was the only way to save him and go through with her plan. Asteria rolled her eyes before meeting her gaze. "Well, go save him." Octavia snapped at her, making the blonde pick up her pace and headed towards Roan.
Asteria stood beside Clarke and Abby with a rag in her hand, ready to soak up the blood when Abby pressed the tweezers's inside the bullet wound. Octavia was trying to hurry up Abby as she surveyed the situation happening down below, telling them that they didn't have much time left.
Asteria was quick to notice the way Abby's breathing quickened under pressure and her hands began to shake. "Let me, you're shaking." Asteria grabbed the other tweezers from Abby's hand and began to take her place.
Abby watched her with curiousness. "How did you learn to do this?" She questioned.
Asteria briefly looked up from King Roan to look at the hesitant gaze of Abby Griffin. "Before I was locked up in Mount Weather, I studied the medical field. I was young but I was Dr. Tsing's favorite before she began to run tests on me."
Octavia gave them a sideways glance towards them, eyeing Asteria in particular as she listened into the small story before returning her gaze towards the window. "His breathing is shallow." Asteria informed Abby which made her check his pulse. "It's possible there could be a bone fragment lodged in the tissue."
Octavia turned towards the scene below them as Echo talked a little louder, loud enough for her to hear. "Not much they can do now though, is there? Not without an army." Echo's tone was loud, calm, and calculating as she watched the reaction from those around her — and to Bellamy in front of her.
Bellamy tried to hold Echo's gaze, he did, but eventually the guilt settled heavily in his stomach as he dropped his eyes for a single moment, trying to hide the shame in his expression. That's the moment where Phoenix knew they were all goners, when Echo's heated gaze hardened on him. She felt her eyes widen a little when she saw Bellamy wrap his hand harshly around Echo's wrist.
Phoenix immediately sprung into action in an instant, the worry that Azgeda would know she was residing in the city vanished when Bellamy hit the ground and Echo held a knife to his throat. "Echo, stop!" The breeze in the night sky removed her hood for her, and now she was on display for everyone to see.
"Now, that's someone I didn't think I would see on the same side as Bellamy Blake." Echo narrowed her eyes at the young warrior, she could see the small smile of satisfaction on her face as Azgeda warriors closed in on her on all sides. "One more step and I slice him open."
Echo smirked at her as she didn't move before calling loudly. "Guns on the ground, or he dies!"
Phoenix's gaze never left the Azgeda spy as she heard Kane yell to disarm which made Phoenix close her eyes in defeat. She felt one of the Azgeda warrior's reach for her weapons to remove them off of her as the rest of Echo's men gathered all the weapons. "I know you killed Galen, Maunripa." He told her which made her smile in delight before her head came smashing into his.
"And it was like music to my hears when he screamed as I ended his pitiful life." Phoenix yelled out as her arms were ceased from causing anymore harm, a strong fist hitting her in her stomach making her double over before she was hauled away like Bellamy Blake.
Octavia was quick to lead them to the back of the room, after she whitnissed them all leaving the square with Bellamy and Phoenix, but Asteria ran into the back of Octavia as the door burst open and Azgeda warrior's came pouring into the room. Asteria's eyes widened in panic as they all backed away and turned, heading for the main door when it burst open as well.
The Ice Nation swarmed them, grabbing Octavia as Asteria yelled out in protest. The four of them were struggling to get free when Echo walked into the scene with two warriors holding onto Bellamy and Phoenix.
Phoenix's attention was immediately drawn to the blonde and she began to struggle against her but a knife stopped her as it was placed against her neck. "Let her go, she's innocent in all of this!" Phoenix yelled towards Echo, but the spy didn't listen.
"They were trying to kill the king, check him!" Echo snapped towards her warriors once she quickly realized what was going on here, and the warriors moved without question at her call.
"No, we were trying to save him." Clarke pleaded on her knees as Echo looked down at her with the utmost hatred. She dropped her sword from Bellamy's neck and walked towards Clarke. "For my Queen!" She shouted, raising her sword to swing it at Clarke.
"Wait." All of them heard Roan's hoarse cry from behind them. Asteria looked behind her shoulder to see the king rise from his death bed, clutching the wound on his chest.
( FEBRUARY 25th, 2150 — POLIS )
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Phoenix wanted to wipe thew smug look of satisfaction right off of Echo's face as the warrior woman personally secured her chains to the wall. It was always clear to her that Echo had always enjoyed the control and power her position in the Azgeda ranks gave her, and having the Mountain Slayer here locked up under her control was just the cherry on top of it all.
She had been chained in between Octavia and Marcus Kane, both of them ignoring everyone in the damp prison cell as the bars slammed shut behind Echo and her entourage as they left the room.
Phoenix shook the shackles around her wrist which were put on tighter than usual, and she sighed and looked back at Bellamy Blake with a certain look to silently tell him that his plan went to shit, until her eyes landed on Asteria sitting on the dirty floor with a disappointed look in her eyes.
Her facial expression softened almost instantly and she squatted towards Asteria, the shackles digging into her wrists rather painfully but she could manage it. "Hey." she said softly which was met with wet, sad eyes staring back at her. "This isn't your fault."
Asteria huffed out in defeat as she shook her head. "I should just keep my plans to myself, this wouldn't of happened if I just shut my mouth."
Octavia's gaze was already on the blonde's figure and she frowned. "It was a good plan." she reassured her which made them lock eyes, Asteria delivering a small smile of appreciation but she didn't say anything else.
By the time the sun had risen over the horizon, Echo had appeared, flanked with the usual amount of Ice Nation warriors, looking more smug than usual. "Wanheda! On your feet!" One of them snarled.
Protests left the lips of everyone as Echo walked over and put a bag over Clarke's head as she was forcefully removed from the cell. The last warrior in the prison cell shoved Bellamy into the wall as they exited, and the gate shut with a loud bang that rattled the whole prison into silence.
Phoenix began to count the seconds that Clarke was gone, but seconds turned to minutes before Echo was sauntering back in here with a more displeased facial expression. "Free them." Her words were uttered painfully, it was clear that she was not pleased with the events.
As the chains removed from everyone in the underground prison, Phoenix helped Asteria to her feet as Clarke walked back in here, her gaze falling onto Phoenix in particular.
"Roan lifted the price on your head." She informed the Trikru warrior, and Phoenix rose her eyebrow in question. "I know you don't trust me but this personal vendetta you have will have to wait."
"And I doubt you did that out of the kindness of your heart." Phoenix eyed her cautiously, but not letting her guard down with the blonde. She was still filled with anger regarding the fallen commander.
Clarke had filled Phoenix in with the details of what she did in the City of Light and what she had learned when she made the decision to shut it down. Phoenix's facial expression was unreadable as Clarke explained that she made the deal that Phoenix would help keep Roan on the throne in exchange for lifting her bounty of murder.
'You want my help to keep an unworthy king on Lexa's throne?" Phoenix said angrily, turning towards Clarke with disbelief in her eyes.
Clarke huffed. "It's for a good reason, Phoenix. The end of the world— Praimfaya, is what Lexa called it— will be here in six months and will wipe out the entire human race. Roan is keeping the clans at bay until we find a solution to help all of you."
Phoenix looked around her, with the most angered expression Clarke had ever seen on a woman's face. It was the anger of someone who wanted revenge for the things her people, Clarke's people, did to Trikru. But she couldn't, because Wanheda would be their salvation and Phoenix's fight was far from over.