CHAPTER THIRTEEN - THE FLAMEKEEPER AND THE NIGHTBLOOD

DAKOTA WATCHED but remained silent when the King of Azgeda walked through the door. His lips were pulled into a sneer when he had looked for the flame in his room to find that it was gone. Now his claim to the throne had no leverage other than the Sky Girl that was keeping the other clans from throwing him completely over by fear of the consequences.

She could tell even without him needing to speak that something was very, very wrong and Echo and her where going to pay for it.

"My king," Echo had quickly stood up from her previous kneeling position, grabbing her blade that had fallen on the floor due to the sparring that took mere seconds ago.

The brunette quickly straightened out her back as the King walked further into the room, the sounds of the door and their harsh breathing was the only sounds coming from the room. Dakota's chocolate gaze went towards the brunette woman, her eyes narrowing as she took in her distraught features. "What is it?" Her eyes flickered back to the Ice King who had taken a seat upon his throne but immediately regretted opening up her mouth as he angrily plopped down.

Roan had swung his fist down on the arm of the throne with such force that Dakota had slightly flinched, but luckily for her - no one had noticed. "The flame has been stolen."

Dakota blinked a couple times unable to even form the words she was thinking of at the very moment. How could someone be that stupid to let something so special out of his sight? She couldn't even hold back her bark. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE FLAME HAS BEEN STOLEN?" She snapped over at the Azgeda King all the while turning her body completely towards the Azgeda King to fully look over at him with pursed lips.

Roan had quickly rolled his eyes at the fuming brunette displayed out in front of him, but he never let his confident nature fall under her heated gaze. "It means that where I had kept the flame - is no longer there."

From behind the Queen, the azgedian spy had advanced towards the man on the throne as soon as the idea had popped within her head. "I think we should search the perimeter of Polis for the flame, my king."

Dakota's eyes quickly glanced over towards the woman and waved her hand to dismiss the idea. While her idea was one that was appreciated to be thought of, the idea was rather stupid if they wanted to find the flame without anyone noticing that Roan currently didn't have it. Alerting the whole Grounder Capital was not a place to start if they didn't want to break out a riot.

"And inform the thirteen clans about how the King lost the fucking flame?" Dakota's fiery brown eyes met the cold blues of the woman, which quickly had started to frost over from her words. "His claim to the throne is already rocky and now you want to tell the thirteen clans that we've lost the flame?" Dakota never really asked her, it never came out like a question but a matter of a fact. "Are you planning for angry assassins coming into the tower, because I sure don't."

Echo was about to say something but instead, her jaw had clenched shut and she remained quiet as the words began to run the gears inside her head. What she initially thought, could prove to be disastrous and could cost Roan his life. The Queen was right in this one but she of course, wouldn't say it to her.

Obviously Dakota was waiting for Echo's words to come out and threaten her for speaking her mind, but when she didn't, she raised a eyebrow and then her gaze went to the king. "I think we should find a more.. subtle approach to deal with this situation," she explained as the thoughts of a certain Raven haired warrior was somewhere in the village below the tower - she alone was the best bet.

"I only have one person in mind that could pull this off with such subtlety, and let's all be honest here, that trishanakru ambassador didn't pass from a heart attack - or whatever you called it." she finished and then looked towards Echo, who she had knew had figured out who she had been talking about.

Roan's fingers were on his face as he had thought about how they were going to get into the streets of the city since they were just as dangerous as walking the towers halls without his guards. "And how do you plan we walk in broad daylight, you do realize I'm the most wanted man in this city?"

Just as Echo was about to suggest something else, Dakota had opened her mouth. "How do you think I lived with a bounty on my head and managed to sneak past every hunter-"

"I actually found you, so I don't think-"

Dakota bit her smirk back. "I actually remember jumping off a tree and scaring the fuck out of you. Trust me, I'll get you through the city."

        Whatever plan Dakota had going through her brain had proved to be a rather efficient one, and now Roan was going through the streets of Polis with a cape over his body and a hood hiding his facial features. He was still nervous walking through the streets when every which way he walked forward, someone had looked in his direction but either they didn't recognize him or didn't care, no one had done nothing.

It also helped that Dakota was walking to the far right of him, her own cape over her shoulders to hide her features from the rest of the world while their own guards were a few feet back, ready to fight whenever needed.

She had already spotted the younger Blake sibling who was sporting a high ponytail and scraping a sharp rock on the blade of her sword. But when she had moved forward, someone had grabbed hold of her arm.

Her breath got caught in her throat and when she looked up from the ground, her eyes caught glance of grey ones boring back into hers. "Aye, I'm sorry - must've mistaken you for someone else." the woman spoke with a smirk on her face as she began to study what she could of the Ice Queen's features before Dakota adverted her gaze from the strange woman.

She could swore that she had seen the woman before but couldn't exactly recall from where. It was unbelievably strange since she was usually good with faces. "Obviously, I should get going." Dakota coughed awkwardly and went to grab her hand from the woman's grip but she didn't let go.

"Hey, hey, hey! Wait a minute." the woman called back to her as Dakota had tried to walk away from the girl. "I usually know a pretty face when I see one, but for some odd reason I cannot recall yours from where."

Dakota turned her gaze towards the woman, her eyes starting to study the features of someone who had been in plenty of battles. The woman was dressed in full armor but a couple of fur pelts had told her she came somewhere from the north - strange because she had been there not too long ago. She had a couple of scars on her face, one going straight through the left side of her upper lip but getting lost in the pink flesh.

"I don't think I'm that memorable." Dakota had lifted her hood up slightly so the woman could get a look of her own features. If she had recognized her, she didn't even show it nor flinched that she had the Queen in her grip. "now, if you excuse me." she snapped out her words and then the woman's hand came from around her wrist.

Dakota watched with a curious eye as she took her hand back from her hold. Watching as the woman watched her with amusement on her features, her chin had lifted slightly to show her own confidence - not like she could already sense it in the way she spoke.

"My name is Adela - best you remember that." The woman, whose name she had just learned was Adela spoke with confidence and she saw the way her eyes had hardened now that the woman got a good look at her. "we'll be seeing more of each other." she finished and then winked back at her.

Dakota's eyes wandered towards the ground, studying the cobble stone for a second before glancing back up to where Adela was, or once was. She had disappeared through the crowd. Dakota's brown eyes studied around for a second hoping that she would spot her within the hundreds of grounders but she didn't.

She then turned around while the grey eyes that belonged to the woman was still on her frame, unbeknownst to the Queen of Azgeda that she had been leaning up against the wall of a bar with a knife twisting in her hands.

"We need to lock down this city and search everyone." Octavia whispered angrily over at the king when she had learned that the flame had been stolen. Indra was quick to shut down the approach that Octavia thought of and walked between the two warriors when Dakota was approaching in her line of sight.

When she took off her hood, Indra backed off when she noticed that it was someone who they all could trust with the information. "We can't. If word get's out that he's lost the flame the other clans will question his rule-"

"- Trikru will be the first to move." Dakota finished Indra's sentence as she stood beside the warrior, catching the older woman's gaze. Dakota knew about the history of the wars shared between the two clans, and they were brutal battles for land and the throne.

She also knew that they were the main suspect for the fires on a recent village so being here right now could also give her the insight that she needed to figure that out. So far, while she was in Indra's presence, the older woman didn't show any signs of discomfort.

"Then I'll be forced to answer their questions with my army." Roan's raspy voice came out like a threat as he looked down at his clan rival and Indra's lips pursed but her heated gaze never dropped.

"Or we can just find it. Where do I start?" Octavia looked between the two warriors before grabbing her jacket which was sitting on a bench from behind her, putting her hands through the arms.

"Whoever did this, got in and out of the tower without being seen." Roan tried to give as much information of who Octavia was potentially going face to face with. Knowing that whoever this was - had a expertise in stealth to manage to slip past several guards who were stationed on that floor where the flame used to be.

Dakota was even surprised.

"In order to risk that, she'd have to care more about the flame than her own life."

Dakota's gears started turning the more she thought about Roan's words, the more things started to make sense. There was only one person who was foolish enough to break into a tower with the best warriors in the land. Was the person who kept the flame.

The Flamekeeper.

"She?" Octavia questioned, clearly she wasn't caught up like the two royals.

"The New Flamekeeper." Roan informed her, and then Indra was quick to defend the matter which made Dakota raise an eyebrow at the darker skinned warrior.

"Perhaps you should look closer to home. You're not exactly beloved." Indra had shot back at the King with distaste in her eyes. Dakota was about to step up to the challenge of verbally overthrowing her, and it seemed like Roan read her thoughts because his hand went down towards the loop in her jeans to tug them back.

"My people had always wanted an Ice Nation King - they have that now."

"The ambassadors don't." Indra countered him, her gaze only hardening which made Dakota tick like a bomb that needed to explode.

"The Ambassadors are cowards who know we'd have their heads," he gestured towards Dakota who rose her chin in response which only made Indra narrow her eyes down at her. "The keepers of the flame -- fanatics."

Roan looked towards Octavia, telling her that he would've dealt with this himself but his guards were always hot on his trails. Octavia's emotionless gaze had left his for just a mere moment to look back at the two guards with huge pikes overlooking the city a few feet away. She grabbed her sword. "I'll handle it."

"I'm coming with you, I want to see this keeper myself." Dakota called after her which made Indra's eyes flicker towards the brunette which didn't go unnoticed by the Queen.

"Don't slow me down." Octavia turned back around to reply back to her and the two women took off down towards the Temple where they both knew where the Flamekeeper would probably be.

From behind them, Indra and Roan had stood back. The Warrior's eyes gazed over the two girls that shook the ground from underneath them. Indra wasn't sure that with their combined force - the Flamekeeper would make it out of there alive.

Roan took notice of her lingering gaze and the sight of worry on the women's features. "What's wrong?" he questioned, his eyes narrowing down to look at her. "you created a killer." he then told her, his blue gaze resting on the Blake sibling with some sort of admiration.

"And you - a monster." Indra shot back, her eyes then flickering towards the Ice Queen - whose soul had darken throughout the months of being with the Azgeda warrior. It seemed like the cruelness of the Azgeda clan had rubbed off on the former Sky Girl and turned her into embers, her fire slowly dying out into something far more worse.

The two warriors maneuvered through the city and both of them hadn't spoken a word to each other since they had parted from Roan and Indra. It wasn't because none of them had anything to say - Octavia had a lot on her mind regarding the new crowned Azgeda Queen, but she decided to keep her mouth closed since she didn't know how to approach the conversation or even start it for that matter.

"Do you have any idea of who we're looking for, or are up against?" Octavia decided to break the silence even though she didn't want to talk about the target right now. She wanted to question her about why she went off with Azgeda when she could've declined the offer of Queen.

Octavia didn't understand what Dakota was receiving in return. She knew that with Dakota being planted on the throne, no one could touch the Sky People without the consequences being immediately forced upon the unlucky individual.

Why was she with the Ice Nation?

"No idea." Dakota answered her back as she walked up towards the market stalls and grabbed some of the cooked meat that was being offered to her. "All I know is that this woman managed to sneak past our double guard on the floor. That's twenty five men."

Octavia looked over at her and lifted a brow in surprise since whoever they were facing had to be some sort of mastermind with knowledge of all the hiding places the tower offered.

"I think we should wait until nightfall. Easier for you to get around the city." She took notice of all the heads that turned when they had gotten a look at the woman in the cape with her hood slightly down, and even noticing that the merchant's face had fallen when she realized who standing in front of her.

Octavia had quickly realized how dangerous these streets for her when she was in broad daylight. Dakota had quickly become a symbol of power under her new Azgeda rule and there was still a pretty big bounty on her head with some of the clans - and they would love to have her head for the reward of killing her.

That only gave them one more step towards Roan.

"We're sworn enemies now, you do realize that." Octavia had muttered out as they sat down in an alley way, now away from the prying eyes. She watched with her eyes as Dakota sat down, bringing out her sword to sharpen with a rock that she had picked up from the ground.

"Sworn enemies?" Dakota had chuckled and turned her head to look over at the girl, the same woman who had changed over the months since they first landed. She remembered how she was irritated with Octavia at first, with her entitled nature but she soon realized why she was like that.

"You run with Azgeda now, and I wanted to ask what your motive is with that?"

Dakota smirked slightly, noticing the confusion drawing on the darker brunette's face as she sharpened her sword with the rock. "I don't run with Azgeda, O. I don't know if you forgotten but I own Azgeda -- they don't own me."

Octavia's gaze shifted towards the streets. "How do you think Kane knows so much about what's going on inside the tower?" Dakota had suddenly asked her and it finally clicked in her head of how Kane knew about Trishanakru's ambassador.

"You've been feeding him information this whole time." Octavia had put the last puzzle pieces together in her mind and when Dakota's chin had pointed upward and her lips went into a knowing smirk -- it seemed that Dakota had been on their side the whole time.

"I accepted the role as Queen to help our people, O. And with the command of the Azgeda Army at my finger tips -- I am the most powerful woman right now."

"I'll admit: you are rather smart." Octavia smiled back at her and the two women giggled together.

     Soon, night had fallen under the city and the streets began to get more empty as the hours went on. With the exception of the night taverns with Grounder's getting their drinks and gossiping with the other members of each clan -- the streets were rather quiet.

With night time came the time where Octavia and Dakota would begin their search and the best place to start looking around would be the tavern. And it seemed like Octavia was right with starting since the second they had their sights on the tavern, along with a couple people outside yelling - they spotted a person with a feminine frame looking around suspiciously, pulling her hood up to hide her features.

Dakota was quick to point out the woman who looked down at something in her hand, and then started walking towards her unknown destination. Octavia was quick on the move, cutting through two grounders having a conversation to tail the woman.

Dakota was about to walk forward when Octavia was shoved backwards from a Trishanakru warrior, "where you going sky girl?" he questioned as he puffed out his chest at her and Octavia got into his face and spat back. "be smart and back off."

Dakota's head turned to the side out of annoyance and she turned back around to see that another warrior had held off the one that advanced towards Octavia. "We're here for the tech, that's all." he reminded his fellow warrior not to harm the woman in front of them since she wasn't their target.

Dakota approached the situation in which Octavia was completely confused of why the man had helped her in the first place. "What's the point?" she questioned.

"Alie used tech to control us no one will ever take control over our minds again." he informed her and then his gaze switched over towards the brunette that advanced towards them, grabbing Octavia by the arm but not without glaring back at the warrior.

"follow them, see where they go"

The two woman took off down the crowded streets of Polis all the while the Trishanakru warrior was on their tail a few feet back, following them. "you are more trouble than I am." Dakota sneered back at her, hoping that they would catch up with the Flamekeeper again, but Dakota had a good idea where the woman was going anyways.

It wasn't long until the Flamekeeper had guided them towards the Temple of Becca Pramheda, The First Commander.

"So, you're the new Flamekeeper." Octavia announced her presence as she figured out who stole the flame. Dakota had made sure that Octavia went inside first and she would stay on guard on the outside of the temple just to make sure that the woman inside wouldn't flee.

"This is a sacred space. Leave before you get hurt." The woman in question turned around with a sneer on her clear face. Her hair was of different shades and pulled up on the top of her head in dreads.

"Give me the flame." Octavia advanced towards her with authority and not wasting the time into getting what she came for.

"It does not belong to you or your red-blooded king." The Flamekeeper stood her ground as she was willing to do since she swore an oath to protect the flame at all costs, and she wouldn't betray that now. She would die first.

Dakota had enough of hearing what was going on in the temple and decided to leave her post on watch and enter the temple, her glance going towards the girl that had been glaring at Octavia,"No, but you did steal it from a Nightblood."

"Blastemy, all you people do is lie!"

"We cannot let you leave with it." Octavia looked over at Dakota that had stopped along side of her. She was determined to not let the alliance that they created and sacrificed for, crumble.

"You don't have a choice." The girl responded and after a second, Octavia was the first to attack but the Flamekeeper was quick to defend all of her attacks. Dakota wanted to get involved but she had to remember to watch the door, even without a weapon - the girl was good. She managed to push Octavia back.

"Good technique. I know it well." She hinted towards the older warrior as her fists were held up in front of her, and Octavia squinted her eyes back at her. Octavia proved to catch the girl off guard as she flipped the younger one on her back and grabbed her sword from the floor. Just as she was about to bring her sword down, Dakota quickly grabbed hold of the blade with her hand, cutting her skin in the process but making Octavia freeze.

"You cannot do that." Dakota was quick to tell her as her eyes went down towards the Flamekeeper who's eyes instantly went towards the blood covered blade, and those hand was bleeding the color that was compatible with the flame.

Octavia stood there for a moment contemplating on her next move and why she had stopped her in the first place. Before she could make a move Indra spoke up.

"Stop. Put down the sword, Octavia." Indra stepped out into view as she entered the temple from behind the ladies.

"She had the flame." Octavia informed her mentor, hoping that it might get those two on her side of things.

"She's my daughter." Indra explained their standing point giving Octavia a reason to back off and Dakota to remove her hand from the blade. She took out a rag to clean the blood off while Octavia extended her hand to help the lady up.

"I'll talk to Roan. If we give back the Flame, I can convince him to show mercy." Octavia opted a solution that might please everyone but Dakota knew how this would play out, and it seemed like Indra did as well.

"Azgeda shows no mercy. Give me the Flame, Gaia." Indra told the girl hoping that she might've listened.

"It's around her neck." Octavia stated.

"That's nothing, a totem she's worn since she joined the faith. You are interfering in matters that you do not understand." Indra informed her daughter on the dire situation that they had all just unfolded.

"Wrong. I'm a Flamekeeper. I'm honoring my faith, a faith you once believed in." Gaia spoke up against them.

"Don't you question my devotion."

"A devoted followed would die before giving the Flame to an unworthy King, an Azgeda King and this defiler. You pervert out faith. Heda would be ashamed." Gaia spat back at her mother, but her eyes flickered back towards the Queen who was cleaning her hand up.

"I'm doing what's best for Trikru. You would understand that if you had stayed and done your duty." Indra explained her standpoint but Gaia was not hearing any of it.

"I was called." Gaia cried out not believing that after all this time her mother would still hold that against her.

"My daughter was not meant to wonder the Earth looking for nightbloods. My daughter was meant to lead armies. My daughter was meant to lead our people." Indra spoke out and Dakota could hear the emotion behind the mother's voice which made her think about her own that was growing in her stomach.

One that she wanted to forget that was there.

"Looks like you found your daughter now." Gaia responded back noting at how Octavia and Indra had formed a bond. One that would be similar to how a mother a child would be like and act like.

"Roan sent me here to kill you. If I don't come back with the Flame, he will send others." Octavia commented knowing that the time they had remaining was running out the longer the two fought.

"Indra tell me what to do here." Octavia walked forward after Gaia noted that she would die before she would give up the Flame willingly. "Without the Flame, the King is vulnerable. We will need to fight to keep him on the throne."

Dakota waved her hand and started walking up towards the two. "You wont have to fight if a Commander had been chosen." she then looked towards Gaia, who glared back towards her. "I've proven my loyalty to Commander Lexa when she still lived, Azgeda means nothing to me; It's the army I am after." Dakota held the Flamekeepers gaze strongly and Gaia gaze softened when she realized that this woman was speaking the truth when she had added.

"I know you speak the truth, you bowed to Commander Lexa."

Dakota held her hand out towards the woman with a heavy stare. "Then give me the Flame and I swear, you will lead alongside me as Titus did for Commander Lexa."

Indra and Octavia both watched as Gaia slowly started to draw out the Flame from her pocket, her lips were parted as her own eyes gazed back into Dakota's but before she could pass the Flame to her - the Temple shook with loud bangs against the walls.

Dakota's head twisted towards the door and Gaia's hand went back into her pocket. "The looters." Indra announced as they looked towards the door.

Each person glanced around towards each other to try and find out exactly how the looters knew where to find them but it all came down to Octavia - who was stopped by the Trishanakru warriors. Octavia sighed out as soon as she realized that her and Dakota had been followed here, but her only thought was how to keep the Flame from the looters.

"I can take the tunnels." Gaia was quick to go grab her bag to put the flame in and start walking before Octavia grabbed her shoulder to stop her. "Wait-"

        They literally had a few seconds to come up with a plan to save the Flame and Octavia's idea was the only one they could come up with in such a short amount of time. Octavia, Gaia, and Indra were waiting for the doors to be busted open while Dakota went to hide in the Escape Pod with the Flame in her jacket. She didn't think that taking the tunnel would be the best of plans since not many clans knew about it but using it was a big risk to announce to the others where its placement was. Dakota didn't want to take that, so she hung to the walls of the Pod, which windows were painted with grey paint from the inside.

Dakota held her breath as soon as the doors had been opened but it seemed like Octavia's plan had worked at the cost of the Pod being tipped over onto it's side as the looters began to trash the place out of revenge for their losses. Dakota held her shocked gasp out as the Pod landed with a thump, and her hands hung on to the traps on the ceiling.

It didn't take them long to abandon the area and leave the place a total wreck, now that Dakota climbed out of the escape Pod - she allowed her brown eyes to take a look at the place.

Dakota walked over towards Gaia with a sheepish grin on her face and held out the real Flame while Octavia gave back it's holder which held the fake one that was around her neck. "I told you I wouldn't run with it." she smiled at her.

Gaia took the Flame from the girl with a smile on her face. "You've proven you are worthy of the flame, Dakota kom Skaikru. You have protected the flame with your life, and may the flame protect you in return."

Dakota put her hand over the other girl's closed hand around the flame. "This is your legacy, are you ready for it?" Gaia asked her as the two warriors watched with curiousness as the situation unfolded. Gaia proceeded to grab hold of the Queen's hand to re-open the wound in her palm and when the blood spilled on the flame, it almost seemed like it started to glow.

Dakota began to feel a wave of uneasiness fall over her and overcome her thoughts. She wasn't even sure if she was ready to the Flame to enter her mind if it was anything like the chip she had taken. She wasn't even sure how this whole thing would react to the tiny human growing in her stomach. Was this all worth it for the thoughts of commanding an Army and the clans coming together as one under rule?

With a breath, Dakota's brown eyes flickered up towards Gaia's stare. "I am, announce my Ascension."

Soon the room had been filled with candles and they sat on-top of the wreckage that had been made earlier. Octavia turned back around as she let one of Dakota's warriors in, who was also known as Herminius - as she soon found out when he announced his appearance.

It seemed like Dakota was followed as well since he knew that more than likely she would have a trail on her as well.

Dakota let out a breath as Gaia stood in front of her with a bowl of black liquid in front of her, and her finger dipped into the liquid paste. Herminius looked on with curiousness as Dakota swallowed hard while Gaia swiped the paint on the bridge of her nose.

"You've done this before, right?" Dakota suddenly asked her as Gaia grabbed the flame from her bag, along with a book which made Dakota look upon it in curiosity. 

"I've prepared for it since I joined." Gaia told her while Herminius walked over to the side of her and he could see the fear in her eyes. "This is the legacy of your blood, don't run from it." Gaia told her to try to help calm her nerves.

Dakota blinked a couple times as she grabbed her brown hair from her neck, allowing the back to be exposed while she licked her lips and tugged her hair to the side. She looked over at Herminius with a newfound confidence in her eyes under his gaze.

"Our people will be more powerful than ever.. that will be your legacy and your legend, but also your downfall." Herminius spoke out and his words hung on like salt in a wound.

She felt Gaia stand behind her as she kept her eyes trained on the man in front of her and before she could react to anything, her hand went towards her stomach. "Ascende Superius."

Dakota felt her breath quicken and as soon as the cold limbs touched her skin and began eating a path through the flesh of her neck, she began to let out a cry as it dug forward and she screamed out. Her eyes widened open in pure panic before they quickly shut closed and then unconsciousness over took her body. 

 Herminius caught her before she hit the ground and he pulled the brown hair from her face, looking towards the three other ladies in the room before looking down at Dakota's face.

"Rise up where the Last Commander has fallen."

END OF PART ONE

WELL HELLO THERE PEOPLE. HOPE YOU NEVER FORGOT ABOUT ME.

This is the end of Part One of the series. Take note of the bold statements in this chapter since they are actually hints for part 2. It's been a long one coming you guys, and I'm excited to be 'back'.