Persphyni : I am Darkness

5

Night had fallen shortly after the incident with the serpent, who was know currently being roasted over an open flame by yours truly. We had moved into the woods a few hundred yards from the river just in case anything else in the water decided they'd try to get on land for a snack.

Octavia and Jasper were sleeping against a tree, the act was cute but it wouldn't last. Whether it was from me waking them up with food or the storm I could hear reaches us. Monty laid just in front of them, he too was asleep. I had sent Finn to the river to get some water once Clarke started to crash.

We hadn't bothered to discuss what had happened at the river, only a small nod in thanks from Octavia. By the time we had made camp, Octavia and Jasper were too tired to stay awake for me to cook the serpent I had carried over my shoulder from the river. Monty has followed and Clarke started closing her eyes too.

Leaving Finn and myself in an awkward silence as I made the fire. When I rigged up the snake to be a good distance away from the flames I made an excuse about needing water so I could have a few moments alone to think.

"What have you gotten yourself into?" My voice a soft whisper as I shook my head and turned the snake over.

I was supposed to die today, I had been preparing for it since the first time I took the life from another man's body, and even before that when I first drew blood. Before even that. I was preparing for my death when I first lost my childish innocence. When I became the darkness I once had feared.

Clarke had woken up some point in the midst of my inter turmoil. And was staring at me as I glared at the serpent.

"If you glare any harder the thing may die twice." I turned my head to look at Clarke who smiled at me then looked towards Jasper, Monty, and Octavia.

"They've been out since we got here." She turned to the forest as I spoke, "Go on. I can see it in your eyes. Just don't kill yourself. You're kinda the only person I trust down here." She laughed as I gave her the guardian talk and shot me a thankful smile before standing up and slipping into the forest.

"Happy birthday to me." My stomach growled as I finally deemed the serpent cooked enough to eat. And apparently I was to loud as Monty slowly woke up.

"Today's your birthday?" I didn't bother looking at him as I took the stick holding the serpent off and away from the fire.

"Yeah, how convenient." I snorted and looked up to see him smiling.

"Monty." He introduced himself and got up to stand next to me.

"Call me Atlys." I wasn't too keen on the idea of everyone knowing my first name, or at least the shortened version of it I had told to Clarke.

"Atlys. That's a cool name." He sat down on a log, his geeky smile stretched further as I cut off a piece of the snake for him to try.

"Thanks. Tell me how it tastes." I waited to let him try it and by judging on his eyes closing at the taste it was at least acceptable.

"Could use some salt." I laughed softly as I cut a piece for myself. "You have a nice laugh." I grabbed the meat in one hand and pointed my dagger towards him with the other while raising an eyebrow.

"I can't tell if you're being serious or if you're trying to flirt. Either way, I'd stop if I were you." It wasn't so much a threat but a suggestion, which he nodded in agreement.

"I have a question. You don't have to answer but I'm curious. I've never seen you around the Ark, nor during Pike's class. How come?" I pursed my lips in thought. Trying to play the outcomes of different scenarios in my head while Monty sat there patiently.

"Solitary." The word defined my life and gave him an answer to his question, though I could tell he wanted me to elaborate but he never had the chance to ask as Clarke and Finn came walking up from the clearing.

"I asked you to get water." My glare was pointed towards Finn who held what looked like a leaf in his hand.

"And I did. I just didn't bring it back." His attitude irked me, and the fact Clarke had been staring at him in awe sense the deer wasn't helping. It was better not to care about protecting people, better when I didn't have people to protect.

"So you follow orders to a degree, good to know." I pulled my glare from him and to the serpent so I could cut him and Clarke a chunk of the meat.

"I don't follow ord-" I gave him a pointed look before raising the meat up in the air for him to see. The look and his hunger got him to shut up and follow Clarke to finally get something to eat.

"Could use a little salt." I turned my gaze to Clarke as she broke our silence.

"That's what I said!" The three of them laughed slightly as I walked up to Jasper and Octavia who were slowly waking up.

"Here." I handed Jasper some meat before slightly nudging Octavia awake and passing her the piece in my hand.

The five of them ate silently, only coming up to me for seconds or thirds in Monty and Jasper's case. And when they all fell asleep, their bellies full, the serpent was just skin and bones. I looked at the group one last time before taking the stick and carcass with me towards the river. 

When I got there I couldn't help but gasp at the sight. The water was clear and I could see straight down to the neon rocks below as they glowed in the moonlight. White pearl colors and soft lilac purple shone from the river bed and illuminating the body of water displaying small fish swimming in the water. I threw the carcass in a bush nearby before heading to the water, taking my boots and socks off and rolling up my jeans as I reached the water's edge.

Without hesitation I stepped ankle deep into the water and pulled the small firearm from my belt and slid it in my left boot that didn't have the dagger. I pulled my hair from its ponytail braid and shook it out. The locks falling in waves to my hips and being blown behind me in the soft breeze. I held my hands out and took a deep breath in before letting it out with a small sigh.

"I heard you." I turned to face the noise of rustling only to not see anyone. "I know you are there, I'm not stupid. Clarke, I swear if it's you I will punch you. Anyone else, well..." I trailed off and pulled my dagger from the sheath and walked barefoot towards the rustling that had ceased.

I clutched the dagger tighter when no one came out, the unnerved feeling of being watched sent me into defensive mode.

"I swear." I hissed approaching the tree where the sound had come from and looking around it and then up for signs of life. "Great, I'm officially paranoid." I flipped the dagger, blade down and turned to make my way to my boots when a critter came running at me and jumped off the tree. I kicked it in the air as the shadow was all I could see until it landed on the dirt and had moonlight directly pointed on it.

"Great a fucking squirrel." The squirrel had an extra pair of feet in between the front and rear making me already want to kill it had it not ran away from me. I rubbed my temples and walked back to my boots, breathing in and out trying to remain calm as I thought about that squirrel.

It didn't make sense, the noise was too loud to have been made by the squirrel, giving me two options. One, the squirrel can shape-shift or two, it was another animal who made the noise. And as I'll soon find out, humans are animals too.