Mare
The jet ride was agonizing but the moment I stepped into the Corvium base, I knew the humidity would make me suffer, and it was nearly winter. The base looked bigger as my boots jumped off the plane and onto the hot pavement. Soldiers running, pacing around the area looking to achieve there next goal. A big building that wasn't there before was placed next to the jet runway, big glass windows and if the sun didn't reflect too heavily I could see the movements of bodies.
All the people, all the weapons and jets, cars and trucks made my body burn in delight, I could feel the sparks start to come alive again, ready for the purpose. I would strike the whole base if I could, let the tension finally be released with lightning and fury. But I contain myself, especially once Farley came closer, ready to embrace. Her hug was tight, I could feel her hot red blood in her arm as she hugged tighter, she missed me too.
As she broke the hug, she put her hands snug on her hips. Her hair had grown out, it was cut off just above the shoulders, I liked it. It made her face more feminine, like the young mother she was but she never failed at looking like she could shoot a pistol at your head in a second.
"I missed you, Barrow."
"I missed you too."
A smile kept snug on her face.
"Well, you can see the new changes I should show you around before you get lost."
I followed close to her, her stride coinciding the feel of the place. Busy, strong and smart, a barrier you couldn't break. I could barely catch my breath with the hot gas piling in my lungs, but I felt strong next to Farley, stronger than I felt in a long time.
"The jets are new and so are the jeeps, more traction and faster than before."
The jeeps were green and black, glossing. The jets where matte black with a red stripe towards the tail. Defiantly new, but at what cost?
The sun got caught in my eye and I got stuck staring at the big building. "What the new building for?" My hands blocking the sun trying my best to get the full picture.
"That's where I'm taking you. It's for our new showrunners, our new generals."
"So you have your little building for yourself?"
She chuckled but it sounded embarrassed, "No, well, more politicians and planning for the country." She was walking faster now, irritation in her step, "They wear there fancy, clean-cut suits and attire, somewhere badges that have no meaning, but the wars over now." She stopped before the door and I stood next to her. "There nothing to fight for anymore, just rebuilding the badly broken."
"And guns and power doesn't take much to lay down the new rules." I finish and she turned to look at me. A slight sadness glossed her eyes, not enough for tears but enough for me to see her fingers to flinch.
"Yea." She was close to biting her lip but instead, she walked towards the door, gripping her gun, strapped to her waist.
I followed and I wanted to grab her arm and tell her I felt some way of her pain, the lose of usefulness. I'm sure she would shrug me off, she has a daughter to care for, her new purpose is to raise a daughter where violence against reds is nearly history.
The building was like the ones in the Silver Stilts, well, what I imagined. Grey walls, reception desk and as clean as a royals floor. It's defiantly something I wouldn't expect at a base.
I proceeded to follow Farley, she didn't want to talk, I could tell because her jaw was clenched and her throat bobbed, swallowing her anger down her throat.
Four stone stair led up to a wide room, dark with a big map in the middle, monitors, and technology surrounding the room with women and men in dark suits walking around. Papers nearly falling out of there twitching hands.
"Farley?" A deep voice coming from the center of the room. An oldish man, late 40's with a clean-cut grey goatee. A scar ran across his temple down behind his ear, it was a dark purple, more of a bruise than a red skin mark. His skin was covered in dark sunspots and tan lines near his cuffed jacket. I was feeling sweaty watching him strut around in a full covered suit and jacket. He was taller than Farley but not overwhelming tall. I could imagine he was the new general. A new step above Farley. If he was the new face of Norta, rebuilding all the broken steps, I saw a strict rules government, fair but no freedom.
"General Pearce." Her posture straightened and I felt I should too.
"Nice to see you, organizing everything, preparing for the Muur?
"Everything should be ready by tonight sir."
I didn't think Farley would need to be calling anyone sir or ma'am and "Muur" sounded made up.
"Good." His head went back to whatever papers and notes laid in front of him. His eyes glanced at me. My lazy brown, khaki shorts and oversized sweater didn't suit my personality, I felt my cheeks warm in embarrassment.
"Who are you?"
Farley slouched her tight shoulders. "This is Mare Barrow, the Lightning Girl."
He stared into my eyes, searching for a story. "The Lightning Girl?" His words curled into the air, almost mocking the nickname I wasn't given by choice.
"Yes, she the one who lived with the Calores for awhile pretending to be silver, and helped with the capture and death of Maven Calore."
What a story I had, but Pearce was seeing right through it. I could show him my ability make him eat his words and tone but I don't have the strength or the reason to set this room of electricity ablaze.
"It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you as well sir."
His eyebrow rose, "Where have you've been?"
"Montfort, sir, living with my family."
"Hmm, couldn't take the fighting anymore huh."
My knuckles that hid beneath the table clenched. I was there when it stopped. I was there that ended it all and he was trying to toy with me around his fingers.
"I was there, just didn't want to spend the rest of my life here, in a place that only brought me pain." I look at Farley after the jab, remembering that Farley had stayed and I hoped my words didn't hurt her internally. No emotion, no nerves bite of her tongue.
"Well, lots changed in a year. Bigger stuff to deal with. New rules, a new way of running things, and not to mention, the countries around us are waiting for us to fail."
I look at Farley, I completely forgot about the Lakelanders but what about Piedmont that required alertness.
"We believe the Lakeland's and Piedmont are working together to try and take as much land as possible. Lakeland Fleet has grown and so has Piedmont's army." Farley says.
"Do you think they'll attack?"
"Not at this moment." I turn to Pearce, "Our forces are strong around the border, we're still working on the Rift but other than that, we are secure as we can be. And if they do take the land, we can leave those two to bite at there necks to see who's land is who." He gestures his eye to the window that stretched towards the waters of Lake Tarion. "We also have something in the progress that will keep those Silver bastards out of our land."
I walk slowly to the wide-open window. Nearly inches away from the glass, hands pressed against it like a child amused by something outside. It was a wall, a ginormous wall. At least 100 meters tall. It was huge and stretched longer down the lake then I could see.
"It's 550 feet tall, bigger than any Nymphs wave, even the queen and princesses."
I've seen Iris work her ability, drowning a whole town if she could. But the waves where only half the size of the wall.
"How do you know a magnetron won't just break it down."
A smile lifts his wrinkles between his lips. "That's because it's Silent Stone."
Silent Stone? That much couldn't be found anywhere and that big enough power could be sensed a mile away but I could barely feel it.
"It only faces the lake, the stone. Our side is made out of strong Titanium, worked by our magnetrons to put up a good defense against any weak Queen."
A strategy I could never imagine, but the smartest one I've heard. That much on the other side could kill some silver or even a Newblood. That much could kill Iris and her land-hungry mother and sister.
"It's called the Muur," Farley said, to the left of me, equally in awe at the gigantic structure.
"A perfect weapon, better than any ability I've seen." The man with the scar than walked away, going back to sort out his plans and attacks that he wouldn't need with the wall.
"There panning to build it around the whole country."
I look at Farley, eyes on the man working at the bottom. "How long will it take?"
"A year I believe, with the workers and abilities we have gotten to a quicker pace than we thought but Cal..."
My hands suddenly go sweaty and I turn away when Farley flickers her eyes at me.
"Cal and Annabel have been fighting the wall, they think it's unnecessary and taking too much from the people."
It was a giant wall, protection or a cage, it depended on who was going to run our country.
"Are you ok with it?"
"I'm... I think it's a good idea, but it will cause problems for refugees from other countries. That I think is a flaw but other than that." She bites her cheek, "other than that it's what's best for us Reds, and I'll take little steps for a better life for me and my daughters."
An answer I expected but still caught me off guard, a hesitate mumbling could be heard from Farley but not decrypted and I didn't blame her. The pace was fast, new and different and I could tell she's waiting for the moment to leave. Whether it be the base or Norta, but she wanted something different. She wanted her sweat and blood to mean something and right now there was no present for her, not decorated in a bow and neatly wrapped but rather rushed and broken.
_____________
"This is your room, small but well suited for Miss Barrow." I turn and she smiles a happy smile.
The room was small but enough for one person. The living room had a couch and kitchen but the kitchen was shoved in a corner and the couch was low to the ground. Green walls and dark wood floors. Making the room darker than it needed but the curtain draped windows let in a warmer light.
Two rooms where father down the room and a door on the left side was what I imagine to be the bathroom.
I turn to Farley and she hands me the keys, a sharpied M on the flat part.
"Enjoy your stay, Barrow." She winked and walked away before I could shut the door.
The room was darker when I shut the door and when I flickered on the light, the room was a golden color.
The late autumn heat was making me sticky and every time I clasped my fist, the finger would stick to my palm. I was disgusted and needed a shower.
The bedroom was smaller than the living room, a full-size bed with beige sheets, thin, and pillows that needed more feathers in it. A window would have looked out the Lake but was blocked by the wall.
The shower, a white-tiled room with a shower, sink, and toilet. The mirror was small and dirty and I used my sweater sleeve to wipe off the dust.
I don't know why, but when my skin was bare I felt exposed to my emotions. My power, that hasn't seen the light of day ran through my fingers, making them shake slightly. The water was warm but I felt cold, skin burning with desire I didn't know I needed. Desire for what? I didn't know but memories were coming out of my heart and mind. Memories of Norta, whether it was a childhood memory with family or my bleedings during battle. Then there was Gisa, stretching her hand out for me but I decided not to grab it. Wait that didn't happen, she was in the field wishing I wasn't leaving. Wishing I stayed safe. I left her and didn't even say goodbye. But I was safe, was I? What if I die? What if I'm in trouble? What if's made my mind go numb and Gisa kept stretching her arm in my mind. A fake memory, a fake thought. Guilt was consuming me and I felt tears roll down my cheeks, salty compared to the drippings soap on my head. As my hair cleared of sudds I saw Gisa broken hand reaching. Why is it reaching? My hands go numb, my whole body goes numb. I can't think probably and I know at some time I'll faint in this dirty shower but I don't. I feel my strength, my anger, the anger I felt for Maven. The anger I felt as I stabbed him in the back. The anger I felt when Cal left. The anger I felt when I left first. My hands were sparking, sparkling with purple anger. Lights flickered but my eyes were shut. My ability was ready to explode and I had no control.
I let go, let my electricity spark up the bathroom. Turn the room dark with purple light. I let myself light myself up as the water burns my skin and the lightning scrap up my body. I let my mind go blank until the lights turn on and I can't hear myself breathing.
The walls are slightly burnt and my skin is fine but it felt like it was on fire.
I almost slipped jumping out of the shower, heavy breaths escaping my opened mouth, gasping for air that was right in front of me.
Catching my breath, letting my chest slow down sucking in the steamed air.
Scissors. The scissors were in a jar next to the sink and I felt the snipping in my head, heard the cutting sound of the small metal clippers.
I grab it quickly out of the jar and begin cutting. Cutting off the dead ends and ugly old purple that stuck to my skin. Cut it till I stopped myself at my shoulders. My hair felt fresh, some long strands sticking to my back. I pull the rest off, feeling no pain.
I have never electrocuted myself but I know I felt different. Impulsive ideas run through my head. I had no control over my body. My mind screaming at me for cutting my hair, for letting stupid anger control my hands. I scream in my head, I scream and I scream until the sound finally comes out. I scream at myself, my little lightning girl self.