Since being put in charge, Nia had taken up her role well. She had stationed the 12 clans all around Arkadia and since she had been inside the camp she knew the works of it. She knew that the first thing they would do is begin rationing and seeing how their rations were low last time, it wouldn't be long till they would need to hunt.  Taking the next step she had ordered them to keep animals behind the blockade. This would tell them that things were working against them and when desperate times calls for desperate measures they would begin to fold.

Indra had been pleased with how she was handling her position. Her thoughts were set to help them speed this process up. She was thinking about any possible outcomes and preparing for them. She was being the leader she knew she could be. She had even set up scout patrols to line the tree line to scout out what Pike's next move might be.

Nia had even been keeping in contact with Octavia. With Indra's help they were able to keep the others from attacking the girl allowing her to run interference between what was happening inside the camp and them.

Octavia was out on a patrol while Nia and Indra were discussing guard rotations when they were interrupted. A guard entered an informed them that there was particular movement inside Arkadia. Skaikru had brought one of their people outside.

The news was shocking to Nia and made her tense. There was so many of their own inside. It made her worry about her brother and her friend. So she chose to take a small scouting group to see what they were up to.

The sky was already dark as a company prepared to leave. When the younger girls approached Nia she knew what they wanted and her first instinct was to say no. But when she thought about it she thought about the position she had just received. She had taken such a big role and accepted the fact that she's a leader and a warrior. She also had to taken into account that they had grown so much since she had first met them. They would continue to see more war and be in more battles. With that in mind, she agreed and allowed them to come with her.

It wasn't long till they were close to the camp. They left the horses there and made their way on foot cautious about what might happen. But it was something none of them expected.

Since Hannah's statement, Bellamy and Monty had pondered what she had meant. Bellamy knew that Pike was using Kane as an example for their people and if he was using examples, who was being an example for the Grounders. The thought alone made him uneasy. Among all the other sick Grounders in holding was Lincoln and Alec. Two of the people that meant the most to Nia.

He told Monty to find out more details while he went to holding. He needed to make sure they were still there. He made his way quickly not wanting to waste more time.

When he arrived, he glanced over them all. He tried to remember how many sick they had gotten but it all seemed to blur together. His eyes found Kane and Sinclair and finally settled on Lincoln. A breath of relief was released seeing him still there but the more he looked the more he realized that Alec was nowhere in sight.

"They took him." Lincoln spoke out realizing what Bellamy was looking for. He had been giving Bellamy the cold shoulder since Bellamy had begun to stand beside Pike. He felt like Bellamy had a different way of viewing them but now he thought different when Bellamy had admitted to viewing them to be all alike. "But I guess you knew that right?"

"I didn't." Bellamy tried to speak against it but the look Lincoln had suggested that he wouldn't believe him. So instead he went to find out the details that they knew. "What happened?"

He waited for an answer from Lincoln but he offered none. He looked at Kane and Sinclair hoping one of them might answer. It was a moment till Kane stepped up to speak with him.

"When they brought me back in then went for Alec. They took him and wouldn't tell us what they were doing or where they were taking him." Kane told the little information he had. With his sentence he didn't know what might be happening to Alec. He could only hope that it was nothing bad and that he would return. But a low dark cloud over them all as they thought of the person that had just been taken from them.

He knew he needed to figure out what was going on and quickly. With that he left and went to find Monty hoping that he would have more information that him. It wasn't long till their paths crossed as the young boy was hurrying to meet with him.

"Monty, what did you find out?" Bellamy didn't hesitate to question.

"Pike had sentenced someone else and their sentence is going through tonight." Monty repeated quickly worried about who was sentenced.

"They took Alec." Bellamy offered connecting all the information together.

Pike was using Alec to send a message to the Grounders enforcing the blockade. But more importantly he was using Alec to send a message to Nia. This made him know that if it came down to it Pike would give up the deal he offered him of Nia. It no longer mattered who it was anymore if you opposed Pike you would be in danger.

"We need to find them." Bellamy said needing to find a way to prevent this from happening.

Monty nodded and the two set out to find where they had taken Alec. Both hoping they weren't too late.

Staring out from the tree line, they were able to see toward the camp and the sight made them pause. There in a deserted camp was a group of guards and Alec beside them.

Nia inhaled sharply as she saw her long-time friend. What was he doing there? The worry inside her began to grow as each second passed.

Everything seemed to slow as they watched from afar. Alec was brought to an open area and pushed to his knees. They watched helplessly as it unfolded.

She could hear her heartbeat in her ears and her stomach turned at what she was witnessing. It felt like a dream that she would never forget.

Pike was speaking to Alec but they would never know what was said. It wasn't till the gun was brought out that Nia felt herself move.

She wanted to run as fast as she could. She wanted to go in and take him and all the others from Pike's clutches. But she didn't far as arms wrapped around her. She felt herself go numb as she tried to pull herself from them but couldn't get free. She couldn't watch this happen to Alec. Not to her friend.

And in an instant everything was silent. Or at least to Nia it did.

The sound of the bullet brought her back into reality. Alec's body feel back making Nia's heart clench. A scream was heard and it didn't register for a minute that it was hers. Her scream loud and long as it echoed around them.

Pike had taken the life of her friend without a care. And if this happened not even a day after giving the message, how much longer till he gets to her brother or even the others?

Whoever still held her began to pull her back and taking her from what they had all just witnessed. What no one knew was that the second the bullet met with Alec something broke inside Nia. Something was creeping through and was beginning to try and overcome all her senses. The monster inside her was beginning to show.

Bellamy had moved as quickly as he could without drawing much attention but it wouldn't have made a difference. The people of Arkadia all seemed to vanish into their corridors.

It wasn't till they exited into the night air that they knew why. In the far corner they could make out guards all facing the opposite direction. They made their way there but before they could even reach them, the gunshot sounded making them halt.

He dreaded taking the next step and seeing the sight that he didn't want to. But he pushed on and through the guards. He's head dropped once his eyes saw the sight. Alec laid motionless in a puddle of his own blood.

Alec the trainer who helped them establish their camp. The one who brought back game so that they could eat. The one who helped them begin their training alongside Lincoln. One that Nia cared deeply for.

As they stood there around the body a sound began to creep out of the darkness. It was carried by the wind as if the force wanted them to hear it. To hear the consequences of their actions. To hear the pain they had caused. It was a cry of agony.  It was like a banshee had been released in the night.

But Bellamy knew in an instant. This made the guilt more heavy as he thought that she had just seen this. He had never wanted to hurt her but in reality he had hurt worst that anyone could. He was the monster that he tried to keep buried. And now more people will die for it.

Their heads turned to the trees but couldn't find anyone in sight.

Bellamy watched as Pike walked away from the scene without care or regret in him. He had made his message clear. The Grounders wouldn't take him not because he would strike fear in his people so no one would dare cross him.

The others following not caring about Alec's body. When they were left alone Monty and Bellamy knew what they would need to do. Working together they were able to build a pyre just fit for Alec. They would give him the warrior send off that would be given if he had died among his own people. Bellamy knew it would be what Nia would have wanted.

"Your fight is over." Bellamy spoke out as he set fire to the pyre.

As they watched it burn, they thought of all those they had lost since they landed. Countless friends that didn't deserve to die like the ones that were just sentenced. They glanced at each other and both seemed to have the same idea. They had to help the others from this same fate.

All eyes seemed to be on the party as they entered the camp. But mostly on Nia as she rode without an expression to her tent. They had heard the cry from so far as it carried through the trees.

Once they were outside her tent, she allowed Jade to dismount before herself. She placed a gentle on her horse as the event replayed in her mind. She turned and noticed all attention on her. It was like a flip was switched as she remained stoic and spoke in a stern voice to riders close to her.

"Send word to the commander, Alec kom Trikur is dead." They nodded their head and left within a second. She turned to Indra who stood a few feet away. "We took the game now we take the water."

With those final orders, she turned and entered her tent. No one questioned her actions or her orders and got to work on their next task, no one except Indra and the girls. Something had changed in Nia.