Mother Earth // Bellamy Blake

Rules Of The Game • 75

Bellamy and I stood next to Clarke. When we arrived in Polis, she had a lot to tell us. We looked out from the building we were standing in as Clarke explained the conclave to us.

"The entire city is the battlefield. One fighter from each clan. No time limit. No guns. They fight until one remains," Clarke detailed the situation we were in.

"And the winner's clan takes the bunker," Bellamy finished what Clarke was saying. "Without guns and without anyone trained in grounder combat, there's no way we can win."

There was a pause before I spoke up, "I can do it."

Both of them shot their gazes onto me. Bellamy fired back, "absolutely not."

"Bellamy," I began gently. "I'm not the best fighter, but I can fight. I can hide. If I can have my knives it's almost as good as a gun. We'll be dead in a few days if I don't try anyways."

He just shook his head at me, "knives aren't good enough Kota. If you get into a fight they will kill you. Your leg isn't even healed all the way either."

I turned away from Bellamy's stare at the sound of horse hoofs from the ground level. My eyes grew wide when I saw who rode in. Octavia was here.

—

"Octavia kom Skaikru!" Gaia announced from the stage she was standing on. I stood in between Bellamy and Kane as we watched all the warriors accepting the sigil of their clan and lining up.

"Ilian kom Trishanakru!" Gaia called up the last contender. I recognized him as I saw him walk onto the stage. He was the one who blew up the Ark. I glanced over to Octavia, she looked uncomfortable at him being there. Something definitely happened between the two of them. I could always tell with Octavia.

"A battle to the death within the walls of Polis. These warriors will fight until only one remains. When that warrior collects all of the sigils from the fallen and delivers them to me, they will be declared the victor. This final champion will tell us which clan will survive in the crypt of Bekka Pramheda and which clans are meant to parish in Praimfaya," Gaia concluded.

I turned to the sound of people being shoved. I watched as Luna trudged through the crowd of people to get up onto the stage, "I'm Luna kom Flokru and I'm the last of my clan."

I heard about what happened in the lab with Luna. Clarke told Bellamy and I they had to extract her bone marrow against her will. I knew the rage she held because I held the same anger. It was exactly what Mount Weather has done to me.

"We know who you are. The natblida who ran from her conclave," Gaia stepped towards her.

"I'm not running from this one," Luna fired back.

Gaia turned to grab another sigil to place around Luna's neck. "With no clan, who will you fight for?" Gaia questioned.

"I fight for no one. I fight for death," Luna announced. "When I win, no one will be saved."

I turned my head to Bellamy who was already looking at me. We were in deep shit if Luna won, but I was confident in Octavia. She had to be smart, that's it. She will win.

I looked away from Bellamy and watched them all exit the stage. "I'll be right back," I told to Bellamy. He gave me a nod and I walked towards where Roan stood. Bear followed me over instead of staying with Bellamy.

Roan glared at me when I came into his view. Echo was talking to him but stopped when she saw that he was looking at me coming to them.

"You need to kill Luna," I told him once I stopped in front of his figure. "Are you able to?"

"Of course he is," Echo's voice rose from next to him. I never took my eyes off Roan. It pissed me off that I couldn't read his face.

"Should have made your bitch fight," I spat. I don't think he understood how serious this was, I needed him to really listen to what I was saying. This was about the human race, not just a winner.

Echo flung her sword to lay against my throat, Bear was growling and about to lunge at her.

"Safe," I told him. He sat down, but he still growled. Roan held his hand out towards Echo, I could see her seething expression as she backed down. I found it funny how this just proved what I said to be true.

"The time for alliances is over. The conclave is about blood. This is the end, I fight for my people. If I die then I don't give a damn about who does end up in that bunker. You just don't want Luna to kill Octavia," Roan finally spoke.

"If the conclave is about blood, then Octavia will win," I said carefully but stern.

"Your hound can fight in the conclave," Echo's voice pulled my attention away from Roan. "Tradition says they're allowed to battle alongside a warrior."

"Battle rules must be disclosed with handlers," Roan explained why Echo actually told me something helpful.

I looked down to Bear and then saw Kane approaching from beside me. I turned away from Roan and Echo without another word and went to Kane.

"Bellamy is down with Octavia right now. He told me to get you," Kane told me. He led me into a dark room, I saw Bellamy, Indra and Octavia. They all turned at the entrance of Kane and I.

I stared at Octavia, she looked kind of scary with the war paint on her face. In a good way though, it was fierce and deadly. I kept my eyes locked on her as I walked closer, she held my stare.

"Octavia, Bear is allowed to fight with you out there. You should have him with you," I explained. Bear would definitely be able to help out on the battlefield, he can be a killer when it came down to it.

"No," Octavia immediately responded.

"Octavia-" I tried.

"Kota, it's not his fight. I'm not his handler, his death should be beside you," she responded.

I clenched my jaw, I didn't know how else I could help her. "You already knew he could fight with you."

Octavia knew the rules, all of them. I should have figured that Indra already told her this. Her firm nod confirmed it to be true.

I changed the topic quickly, there was limited time. "You're smarter than everyone out there. Find their weaknesses and wait until you can act on them. You will win, Octavia."

Her face stayed hard, but her eyes softened. I could see her tears well up which made mine spill. She pulled me into a deep hug and I returned it. I put one of my knives in her belt, so she knew I was with her through all of this and so she could have it just in case. She is the strongest person I know, I had complete faith in her.

When we pulled apart from each other, a man came in to call all the champions to their flags. Bellamy was now standing beside me as Octavia faced us.

"May we meet again," Octavia's voice jittered as she looked between her brother and I.

"Damn right we will," Bellamy told her confidently.

I flicked me head towards him when Octavia looked back to me, "what he said."