Chapter 3
Almost as soon as they crossed over into Azgeda they were surrounded. Lincoln told them in their language, a language Bellamy really needed to learn more than a few words of, why they were there. A female stepped forward to talk to Lincoln completely ignoring Bellamy and a few minutes later they were being lead through the Ice Nation to talk to their king. The name was very misleading because they rarely used ice in their attacks and fire was their specialty but Bellamy reasoned if they named themselves the Fire Nation people would know what to expect which meant they lost their element of surprise. They were lead into a room where the door was closed and locked once they were inside.
"Guess they don't trust us." Bellamy says as he looks around the room.
"The King isn't very trusting of outsiders in his territory. I expected as much."
"Really and you didn't think I needed to know that? Tell me Lincoln what else are you expecting to happen here." Bellamy says angrily.
"He'll do one of two things, send us on our way or help us but if he helps us he'll want something in return."
Before Bellamy can say anything in response they hear the door being unlocked and in walks a guy about Lincoln's build but a bit shorter who is flanked by two slightly larger men.
"What is your business here Lincoln?" The guy barks.
"We need your help. A.L.I.E. has returned and she's taken almost all of The Elite, one of them being Octavia." Lincoln informs him.
"What do you need my help for? A.L.I.E. hasn't taken my people. Besides she fights with shadow magic and there are none left who possess the skill."
"Actually that's not true. There's one, a boy by the name of John Murphy and we were hoping you'd be able to tell us where we could find him." Bellamy interjects before Lincoln can speak.
"What makes you think I know where this boy is?"
"We were told Azegda was the last place he was seen."
"If you could just point us in a direction in which he might have gone we'd greatly appreciate it." Lincoln says noticing the look of agitation on the King's face.
"Leave us." He orders the two men who quickly exit the room closing and locking the door behind them.
Once he can no longer hear their footsteps retreating he begins talking again.
"The boy you speak of will not help you. Even if I was to take you to him, he'd refuse. There was a reason he left Polis and he hasn't used shadow magic in a long time."
"Please, just let us try. She has my sister. She's the only family I have and I can't lose her." Bellamy pleads.
There's a long pause and the King heads for the door without another word. Bellamy is furious. They came all this way only to be ignored but as he's preparing to charge the guy, Lincoln stops him. He's about to push Lincoln out of the way when the King speaks without turning to face them.
"Rest for now and in the morning I'll decide whether or not I'm going to take you to him but if I do there will be a price for my information. Understood?"
"We understand." Lincoln answers for them both.
"I know you do but I was talking to him. Do you understand?" He says sternly looking at Bellamy.
"Yes, I understand." Bellamy replies through gritted teeth.
"He has some anger, its refreshing. Too bad his fire magic doesn't match it. If it did he might be a formidable foe for anyone of us." The King replies off hand as he steps out of the room.
Once he's gone Bellamy turns to Lincoln looking confused and before he can say anything Lincoln speaks already knowing what he was gonna ask.
"There's a reason he's the King. Roan can sense the power of a person's fire magic. It gives off a certain presence, like an aura of some kind that he's connected to somehow. It's why I suggested he might be a good person to teach you how to stop yours from fizzling out. He can sense what's wrong or blocking a person from accessing the fill potential of their fire magic. If you're nice, he may help you fix yours."
"What if I don't want his help?" Bellamy pouts.
"You need it and he's the only one who can help you. So play nice and quit acting like a child." Lincoln insists.
"No promises." Bellamy replies and almost sticks his tongue out at him but thinks better of it while Lincoln just rolls his eyes in response.
A few minutes later a boy and a girl come into the room.
"The King has informed us that you need a room. If you'd follow us we'll show you where you can sleep." The boy says while the girl looks at them timidly.
Bellamy and Lincoln follow them down the hall to a room that has two beds.
"Please make yourself at home. Someone will be by later tonight to collect you for dinner if you chose but until then you aren't to leave this room. There will be a guard posted outside the door so there's no way to leave unless the King wishes it." The boy informs them and then taps the girl's arm to get her to follow him out.
"Are you really one of The Elite from Polis?" The girl asks Bellamy in a small shy voice.
"I am. What's your name?" He asks smiling at the girl.
Before she can answer the boy tugs on her arm pulling her out the door mumbling about how she isn't allowed to talk to anyone. Bellamy looks at Lincoln puzzled by the exchange and he simply shrugs his shoulders.
"What was that about?"
"Some of the parents don't want their children conversing with The Elite because they claim it causes them to strive for unrealistic goals. Most here only possess fire magic or one other type but never more than that." Lincoln explains.
"Does Roan only possess fire magic?"
"No. He also has air and earth magic. Some say he can even use water magic but none have seen it that I know of."
"Can he only sense fire magic in a person or can he sense others as well?"
"I'm not sure. Anya told me about him and I've been here a few times with her while they discussed things but she only ever mentioned the Fire magic. If he can sense others it's likely no one knows except him. We should try and rest in case he sends us on our way in the morning."
Bellamy nods and lays down on the bed which is surprisingly soft. Not nearly as soft as his bed in Polis but comfortable enough that he's asleep within minutes of laying down. His dreams are once again occupied by the boy from before except instead of watching him kill his mother with shadows he's watching him watch his father being executed. The feelings are so real and jarring that he finds himself gasping awake curled up in a ball with tears streaming down his face.
Lincoln is thankfully still asleep but when Bellamy turns over he's face to face with the girl from earlier whose standing beside his bed. She's looking at him curiously but before he can speak she places her fingers to her lips gesturing for him to shush. She then motions for him to follow her with her finger. He's reluctant to get up and more than a bit creeped out by the fact that she was just standing their watching him sleep. It makes him uneasy but suddenly the girl is touching his hand and he's assaulted with these images that he can't follow or understand. He sees the girl and boy from earlier but something is off about him and he doesn't realize what until the boy turns to face them. The girl instantly begins screaming and the sound echoes so loudly through Bellamy's head that he falls to his knees gripping it. He doesn't even realize he's still dreaming or that he was screaming until Lincoln wakes him up, looking pale and disturbed by it all. Lincoln waits for his breathing and heartbeat to settle down before he asks him what happened.
"I told the guards you suffered from nightmares when in a strange place. They seemed to buy it but what the hell were you dreaming about? You nearly scared the shit out of me. It sounded like you were dying or in a great deal of pain."
"I'm not sure. It felt like I was dying. I don't know. It was almost like the dream I had before but different."
"At least you didn't try and freeze anything this time." Lincoln says with a chuckle trying to lighten the mood some.
"Yeah. Watch that little boy carefully. The one that showed us the room with the girl, I don't trust him. I'm not entirely sure why but something seems off about him. He gives me a bad feeling."
"Does it have to do with the dream? Could you have seen something to make you distrust the child?"
"I don't know. I can't remember much about the dream except the pain and the fact that they don't feel like dreams. It's almost like they're memories. Someone else's memories that for whatever reason I'm seeing but something isn't right about him and I'm not sure why. That kid is bad news."
"Maybe we should inform Roan and see what he thinks?"
"And tell him what Lincoln, that I had a bad dream and now I don't trust the 10 year old boy he's sent to show us our rooms? I'm sure that would go over real well since he's so fond of us already." Bellamy snaps.
"Well shit, at least it's something and if you are right we'd want to have informed him in case the child turns up dead..." Lincoln trails off not really wanting to voice the rest of that sentence but Bellamy already knew where he was going.
"I'm not killing a child!" He states horrified that Lincoln would even venture into that territory.
"If your feeling is right, you might not have a choice." Lincoln replies solemnly and Bellamy refuses to acknowledge the fact that he may be right..