The Uprising

CHAPTER 35

Niomi Onasis

Darkness cover every inch of the city. As I stood at the pinnacle of the pine tree, I have never seen Orion in such a tranquil state. The noises for vehicles amplified since the usual hum of electricity left the air. The animals sounds plaintive below, they sense the destruction that is lurking in the shadows. Or they felt what I felt; The rise of an Exception. Something tugs at my heart, pulling my soul towards the city of St.Maris.

It wasn't possible, an Exception can only be created from the purple flower that bloomed on the north side of the mountains, in the cold and hail. Almost inaccessible with the rocky terrain. My heart knew it to be true; three of them will rise. Two female and a male. It's the same feeling I felt at the Waterfront when helping to capture Wade, that same pull.

My hands are already gripping the reins. I didn't even remember leaving the tree. The pull, the call; something I should have noticed but did not. My horse galloped across the river, breaking a few rocks along the way.

The village lights were straight ahead. Two faces flashes before my eyes. I saw them before; Jordon and Jemima, yes I remember their names through Jason. I have seen them and knew what they were.

"My princess what is the matter?" My grandmother questions. When did I get through the gates? I look to the horse that was happily grazing on grass near the wooden entrance. A few villagers stop, watching me in fear.

"Three exceptions have been created!" Saying it louder makes it more realistic. That's when my body grew cold.

I hear gasps, I hear shouts and then the chaos starts.

"We must kill them!" My general suggests.

"How? They are Exceptions. They get to choose when they die!" My grandmother reminds him. "And futhermore it is our law that if an Exception should rise then they should be kept in the mountains where it's safe." She continues

"This is an outrage!" One of villagers shouts.

I only feel myself being dragged into one of the tiny wooden houses, I was even sure which one.

"Niomi breath."

"I'm trying to understand how this happened grandma, how did fail to see this happening."

"You might be an Exception but you won't know everything and you will never know everything."

"But the minute an Exception is created I should have felt it."

She looks away. Something she always did when she knows exactly what was going on.

"I want to know everything." She nods and silently sits on the makeshift bed, I take my place next to her.

"You already know what an Exception is." She begins. "The purple flower creates an Exception, someone who gets to choose the moment in which they die and until they make that choice they are immortal and stop aging." She paused briefly. "Our village once had an abundance of Exceptions until nobody wanted to go."

"I thought that Exceptions were only kept in a specific blood line."

"Yes but that wasn't always how it always was. Soon everyone wanted to eat the flower. The chief at the time passed a law that all Exceptions should choose death because our village was becoming over populated. Only the chiefs bloodline could carry on being an Exception and each chief should only lead for one hundred and ten years after which that chief must choose to die. It was duty, along with having only one child to minimise the population of Exceptions just the chief and a child."

"Did an Exception escape the village into the city?"

"No if that was so the bloodline would spread and what we are experiencing are only three Exceptions. The only person who escaped was Michael Wade. He came to our village seeking redemption. He brought medicine, in return we gave him knowledge maybe too much knowledge."

"My father welcomed Michael Wade into our village and let him get the opportunity to steal the purple flower?"

"It was his one of his greatest mistakes as Chief and we all regret welcoming him but he had lost so much and only had so little. The death of a child is never easy for a parent."

"That doesn't mean he gets to blow up half of the island."

"No it doesn't but if someone from the below should burn our village down what would you do?"

"I would kill everyone." I say quickly with harshness lacing my words. "You and the people are my world. I would be lost with you."

"You see. You could have easily become Wade, anyone could. We just haven't lost as much as he did to become a monster."

That much is true. This was the vengeance of one man's lost and hatred. I agree he is broken, I agree he's a monster and I know there was a time he cares for Orion.

"Why didn't he use the purple flower for himself. He could have been a god."

"It's because he doesn't know what he had created. After we welcomed him and he gained our trust. We still saw him as outsider. Your father wanted and cure for your mother's sickness. He was tempted to give her the purple flowers but it was forbidden to create an Exception."

"Because Exception should be born." I murmured softly.

"Yes and that rule kept us safe. Until your father decided to use Wade's knowledge to harness the flowers healing capabilities but it didn't work, your mother did heal but only because she became an Exception."

"So Wade things he has a cure for all aliments and not the key to immortal life."

"I know it doesn't make things better but there was only one vile."

"Then how are there three Exceptions. It's impossible to replicate the flower or make changes to it properties."

"There is always a way my dear. Exceptions can also be created through blood."

I stare at he astonished. Who could have had the skill enough to replicate something as complex as the purple flower.

"I'm going to find all three of them and if they refuse to come back to village then they will have to choose death." I say firmly.

She chuckles lightly.

"These Exceptions won't be easily persuaded."

That much is true, after all they are apart of the three rings—well almost all of them.