❛ empire now ❜
★ ₊˚. ❪ a plan in place ❫
˗ˏ⋆ ˎ˗⠀┊ 1x10⠀┊ ⠀❝ oov ❞
▅▅▅ ▅▅▅ ▅▅▅ ▅▅▅

" ANYA ... "

Anakin moves slightly so he's faced with Anya, the one he and his sister have chosen to lead the war party against the sky people beside Anakin.

" I have come to a decision. If you are to allow me to go through with it." Anakin says, rolling his shoulders as he  digs his feet into the earth. "I value your opinion, Anya."

Anakin waits for Anya to respond. Today, they are one. They work together, both the leaders of the war party. They'll be one until the war is over, he won't undermine her, and she won't undermine him. It's a mutual agreement, respect at its finest in their culture.

"What is your plan?" Anya looks to her partner, a brother in a sense, eyeing him with curiosity. She wondered what had happened on the bridge they had made the wheels in his head turn.

Had he just chosen to shed blood and never truly give the sky people a chance?

Anakin stares at Anya, whom is now fiddling with the knife she had taken from her holster, twirling it between her fingers. He knows what she will say, something along the line of blood must have blood, or how they've murdered children. "The boy, the one they call John Murphy. We will infect him and he will make his way right back to the sky people. Blood must have blood and he will soften the battlefield."

Anya agrees. This is a smart choice, and she can see that Anakin has pushed aside his need for their deaths to take a longer and smarter path. She reaches out, for Anakin to clasp his hand with hers. They've known each other for a long time — it's diffident from Clarke Griffins greeting — they have respect and deep down, they both care about each other some way or another.

Anakin leaves the trees, Anya staying behind with the horses and her second in training. He heads towards Indra, who he knows will help him find whichever keeper that holds the virus. When he stands before the older woman who had taught him how to carve his first knife handle, he doesn't say anything that shows he misses her. He does miss her deep down, but love is weakness and he can't show anything that will make the many clan leaders believe he isn't a good next fit for the throne.

"He is this way, Anakin." Indra says, not bothering to look over her shoulder as she starts to walk away. Indra leads Anakin to Niko, the village healer who keeps the poisonous flowers hidden in a cloth in his home. When Indra stops walking — having lead Anakin right to the healer — Anakin bumps right into her back. "Anakin, pay attention."

"Yes, Indra." Anakin looks towards the ground, Indra was his teacher. He would forever call her by her name, as he's now earned that chance. A custom from before his time, they are now equal until the day he reigns. "Thank you."

Anakin leaves the woman, stepping into the small home where Niko is already boiling a pot of water over his kitchen campfire. The poisonous flowers float around the boiling water as the water goes from transparent to a very light blue, taking in the look of a sky reflecting on the still water. The sky person will never know. "Niko,"

"Anakin," Niko turns slight to look at the teenager, is he even a teenager now? His day of birth is only a few days away, he'll turn eighteen. Niko doesn't bother speaking in their language, but in the traditional english. "I trust that you are going to use this properly?"

"Niko, you do not have to worry. All will be used responsibly." Anakin replies as he's handed a water bottle filled with the poisonous liquid. He goes to leave, not wanting to stay and listen to how the healer doesn't agree with what would happen. He knows Nyko has a more healing and happy approach than any of the ones Anakin have ever taken. He turns slightly on his heals, looking at the village healer. "Thank you."

      John Murphy yelps as he hurriedly pushed him against the wall and as far away from door. His face his bloodied, scratched, torn and broken. He is broken as of right now; he has no home, no family, no friends, nothing. "No! Please, I'll tell you anything you'd like."

Anakin tilts his head to the side, crouching down and placing the metal bottle on the ground. He doesn't say anything as he looks the boy up and down before he turns on his heals and leaves.

Leaving the door unlocked.

"LINCOLN ... "

        Octavia steps into Lincoln's cave, shock washing over her when she spots Anakin leaning against the rock wall. "Anakin, where is Lincoln?"

Anakin looks towards the girl, stepped forward with his hands showcased in front of him, to show that he wouldn't hurt her. He gently, as gently as he was in his heart, moved her head around and checked her for any signs of bleeding/sickness.

Octavia steps away, letting Anakin's hands drop to his side. "You knew?" Her heart drops into her stomach, she feels like she can't breathe. Because deep down, she knows that Anakin is the kind of person who would be the one behind it all, and he is.

Of course Anakin knew, he had been the one to infect the young teenager with the sickness. He was responsible for the delinquents that would die and he felt no remorse. "I knew," Anakin was going to tell her that he was responsible, that he is the one they all should be scared off. "Lincoln tried to get you out, he left a flower. Had you not seen it?"

Octavia nods — she wants to look away, to go back to the camp — the grounder doesn't look like he cares about anything. "I saw it ... right before I found the kid your people sent to infect us. People are dying, Anakin. Clarke sent me here for the cure."

Anakin shakes his head, "There is no cure." He feels almost happy that there isn't a cure for the sick teenager and children, because it'll help his side of people in the war that had been started.

Octavia stares at the grounder in shock. "So you were just gonna let my people die? You were gonna let me die?"

"Oh, Octavia." Anakin stares at her in disbelief. Is she confusing him for Lincoln — the all good grounder who wants nothing but peace? He is nothing like Lincoln; he's the first to lead the war parties, he infects clans to soften the battle field, he'll stab his sword into the stomach of his enemies without any thought and then bathe in their blood as a reward. "The sickness passes quickly. A select few are immune. It is used to soften the battlefield ... and I was not going to let you die; you had saved me from being tortured to death. This was my favour to you, that was your eye for an eye."

"What, what do you mean you owe me?" Octavia asks as tilts her head, racking her brain as to why the person standing in front of her owes her. "I didn't just save you, I did it for Lincoln."

"We attack first light, Octavia. Lincoln is leaving, becoming a traitor and leaving. He would like you to follow him, to leave and be safe with him." Anakin speaks as he shifts in his feet and takes a step back. "Remember, Octavia Kom Skaikru... after this, I will be the one who murders all your people."