ASCENSION: BOOK 2 - SHADOW BLOODS.

Chapter 23: Into The Abyss.

Lexa had honoured me with the execution of President Cage. She knew I needed to see his life come to an end, that piece by piece I'd begun to reclaim what The Mountain had taken from me, what it had taken from all of us.
We wasted no time in making our way to meet with the rest of our people in the tunnels. I'd radioed Bellamy for an update on their progress, the evacuation was taking time. Those that were held prisoner were either injured or too weak to fight when waves of The Reapers attacked. We needed to get to them as fast as possible.
As we swiftly approched the silhouettes in the distance a roar rumbled out through the tunnel. The battle growl of The Reapers was unmistakable. We stopped in our tracks, knowing that we need to hold them back so our people could concentrate on the evacuation.
Lexa ordered her warriors to prepare for combat, their blades poised for the onslaught. I looked at the watch which now read thirty minutes remaining on its countdown. Lexa saw the concerned look in my eyes, "We still have time, Clarke."
I nodded back, "Don't supposed Lincoln has any more explosives hidden away?"
"A one off gift from Raven given the short timescale of this plan I'm afraid." Lexa replied.
I looked down at my sword and then at the guns locked into my belt. Choosing the firearms to defend our position I smiled back at Lexa, "These should buy us some time."
"How's your aim?" Lexa challenged as the first wave of Reapers can into veiw. I fired off four rounds hitting every mark.
Lexa grinned back, "On Point as always, Skaigada."
As more Reapers descended we moved to attack. I took as many of the down as possible until my bullets ran out. Drawing my sword I pushed forward, shoulder to shoulder with my Warrior Commander.
We clashed our swords upon their's, drew their blood in the heat of battle. They attacked and they fell. They pushed against us and we pushed back, never yielding.
I caught Lexa's eye many times as the fight raged on, each time it was followed by the slightest of grins. She looked at me with such pride, I felt honoured that she never gave up on me.
As we fought side by side for the freedom of our people, I began to feel a sense of hope for the first time since The Shadow Bloods had tried to crush my spirit. Maybe the future held a promise of better days for The Trikru Commander and her Skaikru Warrior.

Our swords continued to hold back The Reapers, yet more and more descended upon us. We were beginning to run out of time.
Bellamy radioed to let us know they had just cleared the tunnels and were heading to a safe distance from Mount Weather.
I alerted Lexa to the situation, "Bellamy and the others are clear, we need to fall back."
Lexa nodded as she pulled her sword from a dead Reaper and ordered her warriors to leave the fight behind.
We moved as fast as possible to where the tunnel began to narrow, an indication that we were close to the exit point but The Reapers were relentless.
They pursued us like wild animals hunting their prey, leaving us no choice but to engage in combat. Our muscles burned, our hearts raced and our minds panicked with the urgency of our situation. Slowly their numbers dwindled as we cut them down, but the distraction of battle delivered a cruel blow. The hope that filled my heart just minuets ago, was now shattered into a thousand pieces.
From behind I heard a loud crash. As I killed the last Reaper that stood in front of me, I turned to see that a barred security gate had dropped from the ceiling of the tunnel cutting me off from the rest of my people. I rushed over to it, as Lexa stood in shock on the other side of the bars.
Her warriors still fought the last of The Reapers caught on her side of the tunnel as she moved towards me.
"What's happening, what is this?" She panicked.
"The security systems for the lower levels are back online, they're trying to trap us down here." I replied as I tried to use the key card on the wall panel to override the system and lift the gate.
Each time I swiped it the light flashed red, denying me access. "It won't work, they've changed the security codes."
I looked down at the watch to see that fifteen minutes now remained to escape The Mountain. My heart sank as the reality of the situation hit me like lightening bolt. I looked at Lexa who had ordered her warriors to try and forcibly lift the gate.
"I'll get you out of here," she said, her voice full of frustration.
I took her hand through the bars and looked her deep in the eyes and spoke calmly to my warrior woman, "I love you. I'll always love you."
She shook her head, "No. Don't do this Clarke. I won't leave you here to die in this mountain!"
I pulled her as close as possible and kissed her, not caring that her warriors were close by.
"Be strong, know that my heart was always yours even in the darkest of times, Heda."
I saw a tear fall from her eye as I slowly slid my hand from her's. Her heart was breaking and not even the call to evacuate from Lincoln could break her gaze upon me.
"I love you." She whispered as I moved away from the gate, away from my Heda with tears in my eyes.

The look on Lexa's face haunted me as I backed away into the shadows of Mount Weather. I watched as Lincoln urged her to fall back, yet she froze to the spot.
What had we done to deserve this fate, to endure all that had happened to us? I came back to The Mountain to end it's cruelty over our people and yet still it took from us.
I frantically searched the tunnel for a way out but all I found were the bodies of dead Reapers. As I moved futher into the the darkeness I heard the faint sound of water flowing. It was coming from the only other tunnel that wasn't blocked by a security gate. Swiftly, I ran in the direction of the sound, a glimmer of hope that there may be a way out of this.
As the sound grew louder I realised exactly what it was. The tunnel led to an over flow exit point for Philpott Dam. It may as well have been a dead end. There would be little chance of survival dropping from such a height into the water below. It was time to make my peace with inevitability.
I slowly walked towards the open archway that gave me a breathtaking veiw of the lands I grew up in. Water surged from beneath the ridge I stood upon, the cooling spray felt calming. I took a deep breath, savouring the fresh air.
I looked down at the watch I still grasped in my hand, it read five minutes until detonation. The radio signal had now been blocked but I knew Lexa would be free of The Mountain and on her way to safety with the others.
As the minutes and seconds ebbed away, I'd come to terms with the price I was about to pay so that my people could live. Above all else I was thankful that death had spared my Trikru Warrior, the woman I had given my heart and soul to.
In the final minute of my life, I looked out to the snowy horizon at the tall trees that stood so strong. In their strength I saw my Heda, in their resilience I saw my warrior women, in their beauty I saw my Lexa.
The Mountain rumbled and quaked, time had ran out. As the tunnel began to crumble around me I threw the watch to the ground and smiled, "For my Kin, for The Clans, for The Commanders and for Lexa Kom Trikru. Ai gonplei ste odon."
I fell forward into the waterfall, into the abyss, into the arms of death.