The New Queen(3)-Bellamy Blake

Chapter 12: Fear

"We have faced extinction before and we have preserved. But we have all been familiar with sacrifice and today we will be tested once again.The ground won't be livable for five years. We've confirmed that this bunker can only generate oxygen and food for 1,200 people for that length of time. By mandate of the conclave, our clan has been given 100 spaces, an equal number of spots as all the rest. To fill them, we will hold a fair lottery."

Immediately people began to shout their disagreements. So dad began to shout over them.

"We will hold a fair lottery. An equal chance for everybody."

"How long do you think the grounders would last in here without us? Our people know how to operate oxygen scrubbers and hydrofarms." A man shouted from the crowd. I need to keep my eye on him.

"Yeah!" People began to shout.

"We're gonna be running this place. We deserve more spots." He shouted.

"I don't like this anymore than you do but we must call upon the better angels of our nation to guide us. Like the culling of the ark. Some must die so that our people may survive."

"What about her! Is her name in the lottery too?" The man that shouted from the crowd said pointing to a female grounder. Octavia told me her name is Nyla. She was to be provided with a spot.

"We're just gonna let a grounder take a bed from one of our own?"

"I say we let her own people save her." Another man said.

"Everybody calm down." Dad said but no one listened. I was done with this.

Dad tried talking to them some more when suddenly someone grabbed her and they tried to throw her out. I watched as a man punch led her in the face and she punched him only for another man to grab her.

Octavia decided to walk through the door at this time and hold her sword to the man who hurt her. I drew my sword at the same time as her and held it to the other man's neck.

"Nyla! Your with us." Octavia shouted.
Everyone by this point had shut up.

"She's safe." I turned to the rest of the crowd with Octavia. Nyla walked to Ivan who helped her out of the room.

"You know have one less spot to fill." She announced to the room.

"Octavia please. You have to stop this." I saw Jaha walk up to her.

"You're skaikru. You're one of us." I cracked a smirk.

"I'm one of you?" It turned into a smile. She grabbed the hand bars of the rotunda and swung under them until she was standing in front of him.

"You made me hide under the floor. You floated my mother. I'm not hiding now." I followed her until we both stood in front of the doors with our guards.

"Don't do this!" Jaha shouted in a plea.

"Every other clan has chosen their survivors. Every other clan! Skaikru is no different. You have until midnight. Chose or you all die." I walked out of the rotunda with her and we made our way to the office. This would be our office. Shared. Different rooms but same office. Nyla sat there on one of the chairs holding a rag to her cheek.

I kneeled in front of her and took away the rag as Octavia spoke.
"Are you okay?"

Blood covered her cheek from a scrape.

"They're scared. We all are. Its human nature to fight. I'll never forget what you did for me." She whispered to us.

"A word girls?" I stood up and nodded to Nyla before Octavia and I stood to talk to Indra.

"I fear this will only get worse if skaikru can't decide. You both know how this has to end." She told us.

"What if I can't do it?" Octavia asked her.

"You gave your terms there is no going back. I know this is hard, but you both are the champions. Wonkru looks to you both now. They will do whatever needs to be done. One of you just need to give the command."

"I'm no champion Indra. I hid. Ilian helped me. Roan helped me. Sera helped me. I didnt do this on my own. Sera may have but I didn't."

I looked to Octavia.
"No leader ever does it on their own." I told her.

Indra began to walk out and I followed behind her so we could talk alone without Octavia.

"Indra." She slowed down and I caught up until we were walking down the hallway together.

"I will do it if she can not. I expect that she will struggle with this but she will need help." She nodded and I walked back into the office with my four men. Octavia and Nyla had now left.

I sat down at the desk chair that now had white fur on it. A gift from Azgeda probably.

Soon the doors opened and in came my father and Abby. They had a bowl and began calling people in to write their names to put in the bowl.

It took a couple hours before everyone put there name into the bowl. Then they started the lottery. I stayed in the office for safety reasons. Apparently Ican said something could go wrong.

Out of no where around thirty minutes after they began you could hear the chanting of the word fight.

Not good. Ivan, Devan, and the twins held steady at the doors incase something happened. And something indead happened. Red smoke was coming through the door. The men put me into the corner of the office and thankfully it stopped as soon as in entered. Mountain men gas?

"Where is she!?" Yelling was heard from the rotunda.

We waited until the doors to the office opened and saw Indra walk up to me.

"Your father gased your people. They are sorting them now. Octavia panicked thinking you were among the sleeping." I nodded and made my way out.

I watched next to Octavia and Indra as they moved people around my dad giving them orders with a list. I had the twins and Devan help but I needed Ivan to stand by just incase.

"Octavia. Where is Bellamy?" I asked her with wide eyes.

"They were supposed to be back by now. That's why I didnt tell you Sera..Bellamy went to go get Raven."