Chapter 31 - Race against the time

A couple hours later and darkness was upon us. Why do I say us? Well thanks to some overprotective brother, I was kind of forced to take Octavia with me as it would be way safer for his baby sister to be as far away from the quarantined camp than to stay there and get infected sooner or later. And while no one has died yet, we don't know what we are facing and how this virus going to affect us in the long term.

Looking at Octavia doing everything in her power to keep up with me, made me smile seeing how much she learned since we arrived on Earth.

Suddenly I saw Octavia stopping in her tracks as she was franticly looking around for something.

I quickly made my way towards her and crouch down as soon as I saw what made her stop moving.

In front of us stood tens of grounders wearing some strange clothes, nothing like the ones we have seen, but at the same time, still looking a lot like the Trikru and even Azgeda to some extent, but at the same time, these grounders seem to be more feral as if they were even more primitives than the Trikru.

As soon as Octavia saw the children being taken away by these savages, she tried to get up and rush toward them in a suicidal attempt. Thankfully for both of our lives, I immediately caught her and put my hand on her mouth stopping her from yelling or saying anything that may alert these savages.

Soon, the large horde of feral grounders left the forest and disappeared near the base of a mountain, most likely having their home or better-said nest in those mines. I know that we may had have a chance to save the ones that were captives, but at the same time, I wasn't going to risk two lives for a slim chance, no matter how much it will make me hate myself for that.

Octavia was glaring at me as if I was some monster for letting those poor people die in the hands of the saves, but that didn't make me angry at her.

"Do you think I didn't want to save them, O? I'm hating myself for being unable to do it, but right now, I'm more worried about our people than some random grounders being taken to god knows where."

"They had children with them! How could you abandon them?! You talked about peace with the grounders, but you aren't doing anything to achieve that!"

"For fuck's sake, Octavia, after we save our people from both the virus and the upcoming assault, I swear that I will be the first one to enter into the mines and search for those people."

"You better remember your words."

Like brother, like a sister. Both of them are stubborn as hell and only when they'd get what they want would they continue to listen to you, and even though I may not plan to actually search for those grounders, mapping the mines may be a good idea especially if this mine was dug all under the mountain which means that it could take us behind enemy lines without even having to face the grounders on fair ground.

We continue to rush towards Niylah's trading post and one hour later, we saw the familiar place, but just like the last time, I saw Niylah talking to the very same woman that was sent by Anya to find more about me from Niylah.

Immediately after the woman left, the two of us quickly made our way inside the trading post scaring both Niylah and her father. Not even a second later, Niylah's father grabbed a spear that was just in reach of grasp and aimed it at us, recognizing our attire.

"What do you want, skaikru?"

Right after he said that I turned my head towards Niylah, only to see her acting as if she didn't know me. With no help from her, then I'll have to calm down her father, the good old way: by talking in their language and explaining to him why we are here in the first place.

"My name is Leon and as you have already guessed am from what your people call skaikru. I and my friend have come here to ask for a cure. We are willing to pay however it's necessary."

The man didn't respond to me immediately as I expected him to do, instead, her looked over to his daughter, who could barely suppress her laughter at how I was trying to explain my sudden intrusion in their home.

"That's enough dad, you scared him enough."

I could only blink at Niylah when she said, not expecting this whole thing to be just some sort of test made by her father.

"No hard feelings kid, but I had to be sure you aren't as the Trikru portrait you people to be."

"Monsters that have come from the sky to eat the Trikru?"

"Sounds better in English than in Trigedasleng. So what kind of cure do you want?"

"One of our people got caught by Anya and after she tortured him she let him escape. Guess what happened with some of my people after we saved him?"

Niylah's father didn't speak, but I could see the shock on his face when he heard that Anya, had actually left an enemy alive, and even allowed him to return to his people, which, unknowingly to me was unheard of until now.

"What are the symptoms, Leon? "

"Some fell to the ground convulsing and almost all of the infected cough, puke, cry, etc. blood."

"That crazy woman, she released the weapon against a bunch of teenagers!"

"Dad, don't say anything else, go bring the violet jar from my room."

"That weapon isn't meant to kill, it's just to weaken your people, giving the attackers an easier time dealing with you s well as fewer casualties."

As soon as her dad left us alone, Niylah look at Octavia, who surpassingly enough didn't argue or even said anything the whole time.

"She's mute?"

"Just shy, also worried about her boyfriend and what would his tribe do to him."

"She's in love with a Trikru?"

"It's a long story, but her boyfriend helped us more than he would ever admit, though alas to the same fate. My people are still at war with Trikru."

"That's how Trikru are taught from a young age, blood must have blood, and since your people have been the first ones to spill blood, the commander seeks blood as payment as atone for your crimes against her people."

"Wasn't planning on it, you know that as well as I do."

"Leon, we all did everything to protect our friends, even more so when the grounders took you."

"Thanks, O."

"You are welcome."

A few minutes later, Niylah's father came back with a rather big jar filled with a strange purple liquid. He gave me the jar without asking for anything in return, most likely thanks to Niylah, who I promise to give Betsy since we can keep her in our camp any longer due to the possibility of the grounders using her as a surprise attack. I may not be what they call a beast tamer, but even I can see that whatever a beast tamer is, they most definitely would have a way of keeping their beast in check.

"Thank you for your help."

"Next time bring some of that your moonshine, then we can talk about doing even more business between us. Also, kid, the name's Elijah."

(A/N: I don't remember if the shows even named Niylah's father so I'm going to name him regardless, at least until someone says that he had a name)

I turned towards Niylah, as soon as I thanked her father for his help, only to see her looking at me as if she was worried about what was going to happen to me and my camp.

"Worried that I may die?"

"Not really, it's just that it would be a pity for such a perfect ass to fall prey to that woman."

"Don't be like that, you know how much I love Anya, how could you speak about her in such a bad way?"

Niylah, I, and even Octavia laugh at my small joke, while Elijah just smiled at us. Octavia and I bid our farewells and soon after we left the trading post, running at full speed towards the camp to save our friends.

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