Osu Throu Daun Ogeda || We Fight Together || A 100 Fanfiction

XV

A little over a month has passed since the drop ship's arrival, and life on the ground has changed irrevocably. The drop ship's descent has signaled more than just the arrival of my past-it has brought the remnants of the Ark, the echoes of the world I thought I'd left behind.

They've fallen into some recent trouble between killing our warriors and issues with the Mountain men.

But, today's news spread like wildfire through Tondc and to Polis: a prisoner from the Ark has been captured, and not just any prisoner-Thelonious Jaha, the Chancellor. The revelation hits me harder than I expect. The memory of Jaha's cold pragmatism, his willingness to sacrifice me and the other delinquents, surfaces with a sharpness that makes my stomach churn. But I am no longer the scared young girl from the Ark. I am from Trikru now, with the tattoos on my skin and my loyalty and pride to prove it.

In the heart of Tondc, the tension is palpable. Lexa is in a meeting with the other leaders, deciding Jaha's fate. Marcus Kane has also been captured, and while his intentions seem less hostile, the situation is still volatile. I can feel it pressing on me, the village's atmosphere thick with the unspoken fear of what this reunion with the Ark might bring.

Restlessness eats away at me. The walls of Tondc feel too close, the memories too vivid. I need air, a reprieve from the thoughts that plague me. As Nyko, Lexa and I share words, I look at her.

"I'm going to take a walk, I can't be here." I shake my head.

"Be safe." She nods. "You too."

I head to the edge of the village, letting the calmness of the forest consume me.

The woods envelope me in their familiar embrace, the towering trees offering a sense of security I can't find within the village. The ground is soft beneath my boots, muffling my footsteps as I move deeper into the forest.

But as I walked, a different sense of unease begins to settle in my gut. The forest was quieter than usual, the normal symphony of sounds muted. I slow my pace, my instincts flaring to life. Something isn't right. I reach for my sword, but just as I grip the hilt I feel a sharp, heavy blow to the back of my head.

My vision blurs as I stumble forward, the world tilts on its axis. Strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me down before I can fully comprehend what is happening. I fight back, initially breaking out of their hold and reaching for my dagger. I manage to slash one of them in the arm, but my strength is no match against both of them. The last thing I see before darkness claims me is the glint of metal and the cold, blurry, detached eyes of the people who hold me.

I awake to the harsh glare of artificial light, something I haven't seen in a long time, my head throbbing with a dull, persistent pain in the base of my skull. The cold, metallic surface beneath me is unforgiving, my limbs aching as I try to move. My hands are bound behind me with rough rope, the coarse fibers digging into my skin. Panic threatens to overwhelm me, but I force it down, taking slow, steady breaths to calm myself.

The room I am in is stark and sterile, a far cry from the organic warmth of the ground. It reminds me too much of my time on the Ark, the clinical environment where my emotions were suppressed, and survival was a calculated equation. The memories surge, but I push them back. I can't afford to be weak now.

The sound of footsteps echoes in the corridor outside, growing louder as they approach. I tense, my muscles coiling in readiness as the door slides open with a hiss. A woman enters, her posture rigid and authoritative, the kind of bearing that only comes from years of command. I recognize her instantly-Major Byrne, one of the Ark's staunchest enforcers of the rules, and someone who has never shown an ounce of compassion.