With Khal unconscious and securely tied up for transport to the third level of the dropship, the immediate threat to the camp was neutralized. But out in the dark tree line and the muddy clearing, fifty massive, heavily muscled warhorses were left wandering without their riders.
Bellamy slung his empty rifle over his shoulder, his tactical mind immediately shifting from survival to expansion. He looked at the massive beasts. They were huge, built like pre-war draft horses but heavily muscled and adapted to the harsh wastelands.
"Don't let them scatter!" Bellamy ordered the remaining guards, gesturing toward the wandering herd. "Grab the reins! If we can round them up, we have transportation and heavy lifting. We can use them."
Aleksander stood near the ruined gates, looking at the massive animals. Having just skimmed the surface of Khal's fading consciousness before the warlord blacked out, he already knew exactly what Bellamy was dealing with.
"They are called Gullfaxi," Aleksander warned, watching a delinquent cautiously approach one of the beasts. "They are the most prized, heavily mutated warhorses on the continent. According to Khal's memories, they are notoriously aggressive and impossibly hard to tame. Even the Commander of the forest clans requested one for her royal stables and was flatly denied by the Plains Riders."
"They're horses, Alex," Bellamy countered stubbornly. "We can break them."
Aleksander highly doubted that, but he raised his hands anyway. Whispering a subtle incantation, his eyes flashed a dim green. He cast a wide, localized calming ward over the clearing—a gentle magical tether that would prevent the herd from panicking and running back to the plains. But as he felt the wild, aggressive minds of the animals, he knew magic could only keep them from fleeing; it couldn't force a bond.
"They won't run," Aleksander told Bellamy. "But they will not let you ride them."
Proving Aleksander's point, the delinquents quickly realized that rounding up the Gullfaxi was like trying to herd angry rhinos.
Every time someone stepped too close, the massive horses would bare their teeth, snort aggressively, and stomp their heavy hooves, forcing the teenagers to back away in fear.
Connor, eager to reclaim some scrap of dignity after spending the battle hiding behind the dropship, saw Raven watching the chaotic roundup from the ramp. Wanting to impress the mechanic, Connor puffed out his chest and marched straight toward a massive, dark-gray stallion.
"You guys are just scared of a little horse," Connor mocked, holding his hands out confidently. "Watch and learn, Raven. It's all about projecting dominance."
Connor stepped right up to the beast and reached for its heavy leather bridle.
The Gullfaxi didn't even rear up. It simply turned its massive head and violently headbutted Connor directly in the chest.
THUD.
Connor was launched completely off his feet, flying backward through the air before splashing down hard into a deep puddle of churned mud. The horse let out a dismissive snort and turned away to chew on a patch of grass.
Raven didn't laugh. She just stared at Connor rolling in the mud, completely unimpressed, and slowly shook her head before walking back inside the dropship.
While the rest of the camp was struggling with the four-legged warhorses, Octavia had entirely ignored them. Her eyes were fixed on the tree line, where a massive, shadowy figure was pacing restlessly in the dark.
It was Khal's royal mount. The Alpha. The Hex-Strider.
It was terrifying—a towering, pitch-black stallion with a massive chest and two pairs of front legs that moved in perfect, lethal synchronization. It was snorting heavily, agitated by the smell of blood and magic in the air.
Most of the delinquents gave it a wide berth, terrified of the mutated beast. But Octavia didn't feel fear. She felt entirely drawn to its wild, untamed energy.
Without a word, Octavia handed her rifle to Clarke and slowly walked toward the tree line.
"Octavia, don't," Bellamy warned, taking a step forward. "That thing killed its own handlers."
"Stay back, Bell," Octavia commanded softly, never taking her eyes off the massive animal.
She walked past the perimeter, completely unarmed, and approached the Alpha. The Hex-Strider stopped pacing. It lowered its massive head, all four of its front hooves shifting aggressively in the dirt. It let out a low, rumbling growl that sounded more like a predator than a horse.
Octavia stopped a few feet away. She didn't project dominance like Connor. She simply stood her ground, projecting absolute, fearless calm. Slowly, she reached her hand out.
The Hex-Strider huffed, blowing hot air into her face. It stared at her with dark, intelligent eyes. Then, surprisingly, the massive beast took a step forward and gently pressed its velvet snout into her open palm.
A collective gasp echoed from the delinquents watching in the courtyard. The deadliest beast on the plains had just submitted to the girl who had lived her entire life under a floorboard.
Octavia smiled, running her hand up the beast's thick neck. She looked back at the camp, her eyes searching until she found Aleksander standing near the gates.
"Alex!" Octavia called out, patting the heavy leather saddle. "I need some help here! How do I get on?"
Aleksander stared at her, genuinely impressed. To tame a Hex-Strider without a violent struggle was practically unheard of in Khal's memories.
Letting out a mild sigh, Aleksander crossed the muddy clearing and approached the beast. The Hex-Strider tensed at his magical presence, but Octavia shushed it, running her hands through its mane until it calmed again.
"I can get you up," Aleksander said, grabbing the heavy leather straps. He hoisted Octavia up by the waist, setting her securely into the deep saddle.
"Okay, now what?" Octavia asked eagerly, looking down at the reins in her hands. "Teach me."
Aleksander gave her a pragmatic nod. He grabbed the pommel and effortlessly vaulted himself up, settling into the saddle right behind her. He reached his arms around her waist to take hold of the thick leather reins, placing Octavia's hands directly over his own so she could feel the movements.
"Keep your back straight and your heels down," Aleksander instructed calmly, his voice steady near her ear. "You want to sit deep in the saddle. Don't grip with your knees; use your calves."
"What about the extra legs?" Octavia asked, feeling the massive muscles shifting powerfully beneath them.
"They just make the ride much smoother and give it a longer stride," Aleksander explained, guiding her hands to show her the proper tension. "But the basics of riding are exactly the same. You hold the reins firmly, but don't yank on them. The horse can feel every movement you make."
He leaned back slightly, pulling her posture into alignment.
"When you want him to walk, just give a gentle squeeze with your calves. To steer, lay the rein gently against his neck in the direction you want to go. Don't pull his head."
With a soft, confident squeeze from Octavia's calves, the massive Hex-Strider stepped forward into a slow, rhythmic walk. Octavia smiled, leaning back against Aleksander as he guided her hands, mastering the basics of the ride under the starry sky.