1 - BANISHMENT

[ BANISHMENT ]

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Their yells and cheers could be heard for miles.

"What do you think is happening?" Sayah asks Lincoln as they quietly and sneakily approach towards the Sky People's camp. The people's cheers grew more clearer as they spied through some of the surrounding bushes.

"Look." He points.

The sky people stood there, cheering what sounded like to be saying, "Float him! Float him!" Over and over again.

"Float him? What does that mean?" Sayah questions Lincoln, still keeping her gaze on the cheering crowd. Lincoln didn't answer, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Sayah notices the same brunette from the first day they landed. He looked almost scared. Innocent. So much different to how he appeared the first day they had landed.

   The cheers grew louder and the brunette suddenly ran forward. However, another young boy stuck out his foot, causing him to trip over it. As soon as he hit the ground, the others began to kick and beat him.

The same blonde as the first day, was stuck in the growing crowd around him, trying to grasp onto the others to get to the brunette. She pleaded for them to stop. Her pleas went unheard. The brunette tried to get up, but someone kicked him back down.

   Sayah clenches her jaw at the action. "Where is their leader in all this?" She murmurs to Lincoln, watching with a distasteful look. "Surely this is not their way."

   Lincoln purses his lips, but says nothing. The two continue to watch the rageful crowd continue to beat the boy until they put a rag of some sort in his mouth. They tie up his hands behind his back and suddenly he was shoved down a small, mud like, hill. He rolls down helplessly.

"Animals," Sayah whispers. She looks to Lincoln. "We should stop this, Lincoln. Whatever their reasons, surely we can—" A loud crash and more cheers interrupted her. Sayah looked back to see the brunette hanging by a rope of some sort. Her eyes widen in shock and she looks to the ground, eyes searching around as she tries to think of a plan. She straightens up, stepping forward, ready to intervene but an arm pulls her back.

"Lincoln—"

"It's not our fight, Sayah." He tells her as he pulls her away. "Come on." She doesn't budge at first, trying to get one last look at the horrible scene, but Lincoln turns her around to face the opposite direction. "Come on, move. Let's get back to the village."

Sayah doesn't object this time and trudges along, mind whirling. She didn't know what happened back there, but she could tell one thing. The boy was innocent for whatever he was being harshly punished for.

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"A few other scouts told me they're searching the woods." Lincoln informs her, as he sat next to her in front of the small campfire. It was later that night now, and the tortured brunette still played on Sayah's mind. She wondered if he was dead; if that was how the Sky People dealt with their own if they had committed a crime of some sort. If so, Sayah didn't like it. It appeared there was no respect, only hate. Which she might've understood if she knew the full story, but her memory of the look on the boy's face, the innocence, the silent plea he spoke with his eyes. . . she could not believe he had done anything wrong. How could they treat one of their own that way?

   Like he had never once meant anything to them? But had he at all? These Sky People confused her.

"What for?" Sayah questions, eyes not moving away from the fire to give the illusion of non-interest in what happened to the brunette. He seemed to be her enemy, and yet for some reason she couldn't help but be mildly curious about him.

"They're searching for a child. The people are divided though. Not unlike what we saw the day they landed. Some are protecting the child, others are. . ." His words trail off as he shifts uncomfortably.

Sayah turns to look at him. "What is it?"

Lincoln sighs. Sayah's face turns from one of confusion to realisation.

"They're hunting it?" Sayah exclaims. "These Sky People are terrible. It's a child! Why would they hunt a child?"

"Not sure. But their hunting party is led by the boy we saw earlier. Either way, I'm going to try to find out." Lincoln explains as he stands up.

   Sayah straightens up, lips parting. So the boy was alive. But he was hunting this child now? Why? Is this why they hanged him? Maybe her initial impressions of him were wrong. Maybe he wasn't innocent.

   Lincoln clears his throat. "Anya ordered another scout to watch them again. Do you want to join?"

With the brunette still heavy on her mind, Sayah couldn't trust herself not to do something stupid if she joined them. The boy peaked her curiosity too much. It frustrated her, and yet almost gave her something similar to a thrill. These intruders were new. He was new. But sometimes new things were bad.

"Not tonight, I'm tired." She answers, shaking her head. "Come get me if you need me." She gives him a small smile and a simple, "Be careful." And then she trudges off to bed.

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"Sayah! Sayah, wake up!"

Sayah turns over tiredly. "Lincoln, you know how much I need my sleep."

"It's important. We're bringing in a prisoner—one of the Sky People. Thought if anyone should do it, it should be you." Sayah is silent for a moment before turning over to face him. His silhouette looms over her as he continues. "Sayah, I'm asking you because I can trust you to do what's been asked, not what you might personally prefer to do." He hinted at the word being spread of the Sky People between Trikru. It was known other fighters would take this opportunity to either kill the Sky Person, or torture them to death for fun.

"A simple capture?" Sayah scoffs, sitting up. "Easy. I'll be out soon."

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Murphy clutches his knife in his hand in the dark. His deep breaths swallow the silence of the night around him as he stares up at the stars.

He never thought he'd see what the stars look like from the ground. Yet here he was. Banished. "Bastards." He hisses, more in pain rather than anger. It was all because of that stupid girl. That stupid girl who. . . He glances towards the cliff where he had watched her jump. Carelessly. Maybe it was the only way. He would either die by the grounders or by his own hand. It's not like anyone would miss him. . .

A rustle in the trees interrupts his thoughts. "Who's there?" His voice comes out weak. His heart races. "Bellamy? C—Clarke?" He calls out pathetically. As if they'd come back for me. He almost scoffs.

A twig snaps in another direction. His head turns over to the sound. He raises his knife. "Who are you?" He calls. "I know you're out there. Come out and fight!" He'd rather die fighting, Murphy realises. At least he reached the ground. At least he felt the grass between his fingers and the rain on his skin. At least he saw the blue sky and the clouds; the white, soft clouds.

He imagined what his death would be like. He never imagined being sent down with ninety-nine other prisoners and eventually being banished and left to die. No, he never imagined being left to die. He imagined he'd do it to himself. He imagined karma would reach him in the worst way possible. Karma for all of the terrible things he had done. Perhaps this was it.

"I'm right here. . ." He yells out. "Do it!"

Suddenly, an arm wraps around his neck, similar to a headlock position, and a knife is at his throat. He gasps at the cold metal but doesn't struggle in the attacker's strong grasp. They push him down to his knees. He does so. He can't feel the person's breath on his neck but he can hear it. It's muffled; they're wearing a mask. He can feel their heartbeat, it was faster than normal, similar to his.

He swallows, pondering on whether to speak or not. His last words. What were they? He hadn't planned this far.

One word makes its way out. "Please. . ." He breathes out without thinking. His own plea sounded unfamiliar to even himself. The attacker didn't move. Why didn't they move? Why hadn't they killed him yet?

They shift slightly, and Murphy feels the blade leave its place at his neck, moving into the attacker's other hand. Now with that arm free, he glances down to watch it search the soil and then stop. There is no movement for a long second. Murphy and his attacker stay silent. Frozen. Insects buzz around them.

Murphy closes his eyes, ready for the attacker to use the weapon at his throat. It'd be quick, he reminds himself, it'd be easy. . .

He didn't expect a rock to his temple and everything to be swallowed by darkness.

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a/n

my apologies this chapter is sort of short n boring :0

^ sayah when she told lincoln to come get her if he needs her n he actually did get her

^ murphy .