A Commander's Reign [BOOK 2]

Chapter 4: Our Ways

"Chit bilaik thri bakon kom Heda?" (What are the three pillars of being a Commander?) I tested my natblidas of their knowledge.

"Noun," (wisdom) Arrow answered the first pillar.

Luca sat up straight, "fiyanes," (compassion).

"En uf," (and strength) Willow spoke the last pillar.

I nodded my head at the correct answers, "good, you haven't forgotten," I teased.

Lev sighed, "we literally go through this everyday. How could we forget?" His comment gained laughs and giggles from his fellow novitiates.

I smiled at the teens, remembering what it felt like to go through this every day when I was a novitiate, "I felt exactly how you did when I was your age. But, one of you will be the future commander, so you have to learn and repeat in order to acquire important knowledge of the commanders and develop your own."

The nine Nightbloods nodded, "yes, Heda."

I looked at my novitiates sitting on the floor, their weapons beside them. During their time in Polis they had been raised as killers, so that one day, one would triumph in the conclave and become Heda after me. As they grew older and their training intensified, I noticed that they were growing distant from each other, Ara and Kai even more so. Kai would no longer braid his sister's hair, instead his gentle fingers evolved into rough hands and I had no doubt that he had forgotten to perform even the most simplest braid. His angelic singing voice no longer echoed through the halls of the tower, no longer singing the words of his people. And Ara, I couldn't help but feel a darkness reside in his soul. The boy sometimes became too violent in training, to the point that he almost killed Willow. His green eyes seemed to grow darker every day, reminding me of Seven.

I knew it was finally time we had a proper talk about the conclave.

I sat up straight in my seat, my smile replaced with a solemn look, "as you know, one day when I die, you will compete for the position of Heda, as your blood commands. That day may be years away or very soon, we cannot predict when one dies," I lectured them, their eyes on me listening. "And when the conclave begins, you will have to take each other's lives. Just as I did in my conclave. But, you must remember one thing: fight with honour. The people you grew up with are no longer your family during the conclave, they are your enemies."

The children nodded in knowing.

"I know you have been told this before, but not like this. The love that you feel for your brothers and sisters must be harnessed into honour. Do not fight without honour, for it will haut you for the rest of your days," I thought back to when I took the lives of the twins, Eden and Malia. I took their lives without honour and it was a grave mistake. "It will make it easier for you to cope with killing, for you will each fight with respect, knowing that you may die. But with the assurance that your successor will honour your death and that will put you at rest." My lips ever so slightly stretched into an almost invisible smile, "but fight hard, each of you for the position of Heda, until you fall dead or, when the spirit has chosen and you stand tall. It is what our blood means. It is our birth right."

My Nightbloods nodded in understanding, knowing what my words meant. I was glad to see Ara agree too, even if it was a very slight nod. I could see it in his eyes.

"What is it like to receive the flame and ascend?" Lexa, the youngest of my class questioned.

I gazed at the brunette than back to the whole class, "I cannot answer that question. It is different for every new commander that ascends."

"Were you nervous?" Lexa pressed on with her questions.

"Yes. But, I knew I had a duty to my people, so I faced them and harnessed the feeling into strength," nostalgia loomed over me as I remembered my ascension ceremony.