Episode Two, Part 6: 

B a d   B l o o d

I̶f̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶e̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶I̶'̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶h̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶n̶o̶w̶.̶

Wynnlow and his family were all taken into a room in the Quarters, allowing them time to settle in and reunite with Azha. As they all explained to him the dramatic tale of their escape from Riders, Kodiak motioned for Wynn to follow him, leading him into a small room in which he shut the door behind them. 

"Where is she?" Wynnlow asked, not even needing to hear him to know that it was about her. He couldn't fathom why she wouldn't be there upon his return, especially after she had almost pleaded for him to come back. 

Kodiak sighed, clearly troubled by him having to answer such a question. "I don't know," he breathed out heavily. There was an exhaustion that Wynnlow noticed in how he carried himself, as if he hadn't had much sleep lately. He titled his head at Kodiak's reply, concern only growing. 

"You mentioned something about her telling you to co"me back?" Kodiak began. "When was the last time you saw her?" 

"Two days ago." Not even a beat. 

"When? And how was she? Did she say anything about where she was going?" 

Wynnlow swallowed away his anxiety, his mind imagining hundreds of scenarios about what happened to her. 

"Uh, I don't know, she left just as it started getting dark" He stumbled, closing his eyes as he tried to remember. His heart sunk as her words came back to him. "She said she thought they made a mistake choosing her as Nobel." The words hurt for him to admit, but he could see that they stung Kodiak as they came out. "She wanted us to come back soon because she said that things would change and it would be harder for us if she waited... Was she talking about her dad?" 

Kodiak nodded. "Everything's changed since you went away. Eryx - he took her over for her-" 

"What?" He blurted the words out, voice almost loud enough for everyone outside to hear. "He can't do that, can he?" 

"No, but he has." He muttered. "They opened another Bunker, Wynn. Riverly's sister was inside." 

"I didn't even know she had a sister." 

"Neither did she. Eryx obviously knew, and that was why he had wanted her to start opening the Bunkers - to find Atlantis - her sister. Her mother Zara survived, too, and Eryx became quite preoccupied with them. To put a long story short," Kodiak began, "Eryx wants to go to war against Blood Riders, but he knew that River would never agree to that as Nobel, so he started training her sister instead to take her place." 

"Because there has to be one blood relative as Sovereign, and now Atlantis could fit that role instead..." Wynn put it together. 

Kodiak nodded. "River found out and so she tried to banish Zara and Atlantis, but Eryx said that she wasn't fit enough to lead our people at the moment, and that it was best if he took over for her. She left the next day - saw you, obviously, and no one has heard from her since." 

Wynnlow looked over at him, understanding the fear he felt, but unable to explain why he felt it too. He never could have guessed that she would matter to him, or that her not being around made him want to start a riot, but she did, and Wynnlow knew that nothing would be right until she was back. 

"Where do you think she went?" He asked. 

"That's the thing... I don't think she went anywhere. I think something to happened to her." 

"Like what?" 

Kodiak shrugged. "That - I don't know, but I think that Eryx might be behind it." 

Wynnlow nodded along. He didn't know much at all about her dad, but every part he did know made him want to place all the blame onto her. 

"So where are we going to look first?" Wynn asked standing up as if he was ready to leave now. 

"Slow down." Kodiak walked over , hands up to refrain him. "As badly as I want to, we can't just get up and leave." 

"Of course we c-" 

"No, Wynn. I just told you!" Kodiak yelled, taking his breath with the abruptness of his voice. "Eryx is about to initiate war on Riders if he gets his way. Believe me, I want to find her more than anyone, but she would hate me if I let her dad do this. It sucks. I know it does, but I'm a Sovereign and I have to think about whats best for my people." 

"Sol is your people." Wynnlow stated. "If you really think her dad had something to do with this, then do you think she's just going to walk back inside? I don't know him like any of you, but I know that I don't trust him. Kodiak, we have to find her." 

"I can't just leave all of Basilisk for her. She'd understand that." He tried to convince himself. 

Wynnlow bit his lip, debating whether to say the words on his mind. "But I can." 

"Wynn-" Kodiak called out, pulling him back as he tried to walk past him. 

"She left for me." 

Kodiak took a step backwards, letting go of him. He tried to understand what he was talking about, it only seeming to click when the water in his eyes glimmered under the light. 

"When I left to get my family out of Riders, she came after me, she left it all behind to make sure I didn't get myself killed out there. On The Decider of all nights." He continued. "I'm not gonna lie. I know I don't stand a chance at finding her myself, but I owe it to her to try." He held his hand up, twisting it so that Sol's initials were visible to Kodiak. 

"She told me, when I got it done, that Basilisk values loyalties, and this was now my debt." 

Kodiak dropped his head, shame sinking in at how Wynnlow seemed to show more fight for his friend than he had. 

"And your debts are the people you owe your life to." 

-

two // part six

𝓡𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓮𝓪𝓼𝔂, 𝓒𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓻𝓸𝓷.