❝ 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗸𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁
𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 ❞
- 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝘀

𝗔𝘃𝗮'𝘀 𝗣𝗢𝗩

Nova passes me a sword and I look down at the object, watching how it reflects the sunlight.

"Harness that anger and use it wisely. Remember, never let it control you" Nova advises me as she wields her own sword.

I twirl the sword in my right hand and grin excitedly, wrapping my left hand around the handle as well.

Nova gets ready to fight and I swing my sword at her but she blocks it with her own. She then strikes with her sword and I narrowly dodge a slice to the arm.

I stay on my toes as I go in for another swing and Nova ducks but I manage to nick her cheek. I grin proudly and raise my sword to block her high swing. Her sword clashes with mine and she pushes it, making me stumble backwards.

I recover just in time to block another swing from my left but she does a spin and swipes at my right, cutting my arm.

I start walking forward, swinging at the grounder left and right, causing her to back up and dodge my blows expertly. Our swords clash above our heads and I drag her sword down with mine, kicking it out her hand before lifting the tip of my blade to her throat.

"You're getting better" Nova tells me.

She abruptly roundhouse kicks my sword out my hand and grabs me in a choke hold.

"But you still have work to do" She whispers and I huff with a pout.

"Nova" Indra announces her presence and the younger grounder lets me go.

"Yes, Seda" Nova replies, her back straightening as she looks at the older woman with respect.

"Walk with me" Indra orders and Nova shoots me a smile before walking off with Indra.

I grab my jacket and walk over to Octavia who is watching everyone practice.

"Yeesh, Nova got you good" Octavia teases me.

"She always does" I huff, plopping down next to her.

I look down at my arm and realise that there is blood running down my arm.

"Fuck it" I groan.

Octavia jumps to her feet and grabs a rag, crouching down next to me. She cleans up my arm and I clench my teeth, refusing to let the pain get to me.

"You did really good out there" I hear Octavia tell me and I scoff.

"I got my ass handed to me" I retort.

"You lasted longer than I would have" She assures me and I roll my eyes.

"I'm serious, A. You don't give yourself enough credit. In just a few months you've managed to learn to use multiple different weapons, to fight with some of the toughest warriors and to speak almost fluently in the grounders native language" Octavia rambles and I smile "You are amazing. I don't know how you do it"

"You're just as good" I shrug.

"No, i'm really not" She frowns.

"Have you seen yourself with that blade? You're like a ninja" I joke and she lets out a laugh.

"Plus, I may know more of the language but my accent sucks. Yours is scarily grounder-like" I add and she grins proudly.

"Sir, we got an audience" I hear someone say and I turn to see three grounders watching Kane and the guards shoot targets.

"Hold your fire" Kane demands.

He takes a rifle from one of the guards and gets into a shooting stance.

"Observe" Kane states before shooting at the targets.

"Would you like to try?" He asks the three watching grounders and I snort, making Octavia hit my good arm.

"I could teach you. Your enemy has guns. So should you" Kane explains.

He holds out the gun to the grounders and one of them reaches out to grab it making my eyes widen.

"Penn! Stand down!" I hear Indra scream.

"You know better!" She scolds him.

"It's all right. I offered" Kane tells the angry woman.

"We don't need your weapons" She spit at him in rage.

"Back to training. All of you!" She shouts and the grounders walk away, her behind them.

"Guns could keep them alive. It's like they're afraid of them" Kane sighs.

"They are" I speak up, making Kane and Denby the guard look at me.

"Legend has it, if a grounder picks up a gun, even to shoot another grounder, Mount Weather will wipe out their entire village" Octavia tells them.

"Can't have your blood supply defending themselves, right?" I smirk.

"If we don't arm them, we can't win" Kane says in defeat.

"Like hell we can't" Octavia scoffs, getting up to her feet.

She storms away and I roll my eyes, slipping on my jacket.

╳°»。 ∾·⁙· ღ ➵ ⁘ ➵ ღ ·⁙·∾ 。«°╳

"Enough!" I hear Indra demand as I drink from my canteen.

"I hope you've saved some energy for a hunt! I'm told our hosts have no food!" She screams.

The grounders begin walking to the gate and my eyes widen when I see Octavia step in Indra's way.

is she asking to be shish kebabed?

"Time for one more?" Octavia asks and I move forward at the same time Kane does.

"Step aside, sky girl. We're hungry" Indra growls.

"Make me" Octavia replies, making me anxious.

"Fio! Give this girl what she wants!" Indra orders and steps out the way to reveal an angry Fio.

He points his sword at Octavia and she walks towards him as everyone backs off. I jog over to Indra as the two circle each other and the woman glances at me.

The two in the ring begin fighting, swords clanging and Fio manages to throw Octavia to the ground. She crawls to her knees and I smile knowing she's too strong to let that be it.

"Hey! Are you gonna give up that easily?" She taunts the man.

"She wants more! Oblige her!" Indra demands.

The two of them begin fighting again and it's going okay until Fio hits her in the back with his sword and elbows her in the face.

The girl hits the ground and I make a move to run to her but Indra grabs my arm.

"She's not going to stop" I grit out.

"Then that's her choice. This is not your fight" Indra tells me sternly and I step back beside her.

"Indra, stop this!" Kane says wearily.

"Finish it!" Indra tells Fio.

"Get up, O!" I holler.

Octavia drags herself to her feet and begins throwing punches at Fio. He punches back and after both of them taking multiple blows, Fio socks Octavia in the face, knocking her down to the ground.

She groans in pain and I screw my fists up, trying to control my urge to jump in. She gets up again and Fio looks at her in disbelief.

She tries to punch him but Fio grabs her arm, bending it back, so she spits blood in his face. He wipes his face and punches her in the gut making her fall to her hands and knees.

He then sends a kick to her side and she spins, falling flat on her back. She pulls her self onto her hands and knees again and Fio walks forward to finish her off.

"Enough! Even a fool knows when to surrender" Indra tells the man, making me release a relieved sigh.

The grounders exit camp and I rush forward in concern. I grab onto the dark haired girl and she looks up at me with a dazed look.

"I got you, O. I got you" I assure her, as Kane helps me lift her up.

We both take an arm each around our necks and Kane lets out a sigh.

"What are you trying to prove?" He asks the beaten up girl as we take her to medical.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" Octavia pants and I shake my head with a small smile.