Red - Bellamy Blake - I

Seventeen - Unity Day - II

-

I was laying on something soft, a bed? I hadn't slept on a decent bed since the drop-ship was launched. I heard a loud sound. Maybe something was being sharpened?

I opened my eyes to see some form of brown, stringy cloth hanging above my head, and looked down to see fur covering me. I looked to my right, and there was a woman with black paint covering her eyes and a small, metal gear charm in between her eyebrows, sharpening a small knife. 

If I were normal I probably would have freaked out the sight of the grounder, but they weren't going to hurt me. I just felt it.

She looked up to me, and a smile smile played on her lips. She set the knife on a table near her, and stood up and walked over to me and held her hand out. "Hello, Grey." 

I reluctantly took her hand, and stood from the bed. "How do you know my name? How do any of you people know my name?"

"Because you are the second commander." She stated, turning away and fiddling with something."Iv'e been meaning to talk to you for awhile now."

"I don't understand any of this. What even is a commander? Who the hell are you." I didn't move from where I stood, and watched as the woman pulled a needle and vial of black liquid. 

"I am Lexa. I am the commander- I am in charge, as well as you." She said, sitting on a chair that was near her. "Now come here and I'll explain everything, but I must give you the mark of the second commander."

"What? No!" I scoffed, realizing what she was referring to was a tattoo. 

"Grey." She warned with her eyebrow risen. "You don't have a choice. It's tradition. If you don't do it willingly it will be tattooed in your sleep."

I contemplated on just running out the door, but I need to know what this commander thing is all about. Am I even going to be allowed to leave?

I slowly crept towards Lexa and sat in the chair that was set infront of her. She grabbed onto my left forearm lightly, and dipped the needle into the ink, getting to work.

She started stabling my skin with the needle, and the pain was more than bearable. "Now, what the hell is a commander?"

"The leader." Lexa stated simply, pulling the needle out of my skin.

"And how am I that to your people?" I pushed further.

"Commanders are chosen through spirit. The first and second are chosen differently. To be a first commander you must have black blood in your vines, and you train for years. The second commander can be anyone, and like the first commander, are chosen after the last dies."

I sighed and watched another dot placed into my skin. I don't know how I was reacting so calmly to this, but I was.  I just want to get back to the drop-ship. "And I'm the second commander how?"

"Because I know. You must see someone- hear their name, before they can be chosen." She explained. "I saw you when you were speared. You are the first second-commander in thirty years, and we intend on keeping it that way. Our people have gone too long without you."

I looked around the room, my eye catching on a pile if weapons. "Your people." I corrected her.

She stopped and stared at me for a few seconds, then returned her gaze on the ink. "Our people, Grey. You are one of us, now." She said, dipping the needle in the vial once more.

"No, my people are back at the drop ship. I need to get back to them, back go my sister." I stated and watched as Lexa tensed at my words.

"If you return, you will die. All your people are going to. Blood must have blood." She set the needle down, and leaned reached for a piece of cloth. "But I cannot withhold you from that, I have no power over you. If you stay with me, power awaits you. If you go back, death does."

I looked to her with confusion as she bandaged the ink I had yet to see, and I frowned. "If your people have gone thirty years without a second commander, I'm sure a few more won't hurt."

"But it will." Lexa said, standing and reaching for a knife. "The guidance of the second commander ensures that the end of us is not yet near. The second commander leads a hard life, and then is gifted with the highest of rankings. That's what you are sacrificing- your power. You will be the second commander until your death- whether you use that to keep our people safe or not is up to you, but know your decision could cause the downfall of a civilization."

She set the knife in front of me, and then also reached for two more weapons; A bow and arrow and a sword. All three were very beautiful- black and sliver metals with very intricate detail work around the entire thing. "I'm sure you'll be fine. But what about my people? Why are they going to die?"

"Your people have upset ours." She shook her head lightly, moving the weapon towards me. "These are yours,. Your birth-right, along with the title."

"Thank you." I stated, gazing at them. "But I really have to get back to my people, Lexa."

She sighed, and turned away. "Very well. You leave tomorrow morning at first light, its is near sunset right now."

"How long have I been out?" I asked as Lexa walked around the tent, picking up various items and placing them somewhere else.

"16 hours." Lexa stated. "Grey, please stay with us. You are important here."

"I-" my voice faltered for a moment as the tingling where Lexa had tattooed my started to burn a little. "I can't."

|x|

Lexa had been teaching me how to use the weapons she had gifted me all night. I was a natural and quick learner, as Lexa said, two traits of a second commanders.

Her information on myself still hadn't fully connected, nor had the warnings about the 100. I didn't know what to expect, but I did know that I was respected and had authority over the grounders.

Lexa was still visibly upset that I was going back to my people and not staying here with 'ours'. Other than Octavia, I wasn't planning on telling anyone what I'd been told here. I can't risk it.

So when dawn approached, Lexa gave me a horse to ride back to camp on, along with things to hold the weapons and a canister full of water.

"Follow straight away from the sun, and you should be home by mid-day." She said. I had noted that the only other person I had seen was a man named Gustus, who bowed to me before following orders. I'm still not sure about this.

"Thank you, Lexa." I nodded appreciatively.

"You will not be thankful for long. If anyone threatens you, just state your name in the warriors language, and they will listen to you. Goodbye for now, Grey."

I turned and rode away from the sun, like Lexa had said. 

I still didn't know what to think about the entire 'second-commander' thing. Lexa had said the second commander held the moral grounds that the first didn't. That my presence was to ensure that no-one made a decision that would backfire horribly. 

But why me? 

|x|

The black furred horse walked at a steady pace for, seemingly hours until I stumbled upon a huge wreckage. The air in my lungs was sucked out when I realized this was the drop-ship that was supposed to come down in a few days. This was the drop-ship that was supposed to be carrying my mother. 

"Oh my god." I whispered, dismounting the horse and lowering myself to the ground. Tears welled in my eyes as I looked at the burnt bones around me. Any of those could be my mother, what happened?

Murder yourself out of one family, and the next one follows suit. 

I closed my eyes and let my hand linger on the horses main. "Grey?"

I turned to see Bellamy, Finn, Raven, and Clarke at the edge of the wreckage. I looked at Clarke with my head down, and shook it.

I deserved this, but Clarke didn't.