A Commander's Reign [BOOK 2]

Chapter 5: How We Survive

"Wait, so you greet people like this," Ivy took her brother's forearm, Oliver doing the same with hers.

I bowed my head in a nod.

The girl smiled, "cool."

I observed the two sky people as they went over our culture that they had learned over the past week. They had earned the trust to move out of their cell and to some empty living tents out in the streets of Polis. Though, they still had the careful eyes of my guards on them.

"Now that you have learned a bit about us, you need to experience Polis. The capital is the heart of my people," I began to walk out of the weapons tent where they were doing some work. Two guards trailed behind them to keep an eye on the newbies.

Hundreds of people filed up and down the streets getting on with their daily duties. The people made way as we strolled past them, the two sky people stared in awe at the many stalls selling various goods.

My eyes followed theirs as they took in this new environment. They hadn't been able to venture this far into the bustling city until now, " This is where my people make their livings. Selling goods from their lands. People from all twelve clans come and go, some even live here permanently. It's how we survive, by trading, hunting, farming and all other necessary matters," I lectured them, walking proud with my hands resting behind my back.

"It's beautiful," Oliver gaped in awe.

I smiled at his amazement. His curious gaze made him look like a child.

As the two sky people inspected the many stalls, earning curious glances from the surrounding people of Polis. A little girl with long, auburn hair pushed through the crowd and grabbed Oliver's hand and led him to a stall where a woman was cooking some meat. Ivy followed behind him along with myself and my guards.

The woman picked up a chunk of tender meat and placed it down on the cooker, the contact with the searing heat creating a sizzling sound and a pleasant odour of griddled meat.

Her soft lips stretched into a smile and offered a piece to Oliver, the little girl skipping behind the stall next to her mother. Oliver looked a little surprised at the offer and took a quick glance at me.

"Go on, take it," I urged him to take the piece of food.

The man returned his gaze to the trader and took the chunk, taking a bite.

He gave a satisfactory nod, "it's good. Really good. Mochof," he thanked in Trigedaslang. In their short time here, they had picked up a few phrases of our language.

I came up beside him and gave some money to the woman.

"Mochof, Heda," she took the money and continued tending to her stock.

Ivy gave a friendly grin to the younger girl and continued to follow us as we progressed on the tour of Polis.

"You see? We're not all that bad," I smirked.

The two siblings returned the smile, their expressions bright.

We continued through Polis, allowing the sky people to stop at stalls and look at the merchandise being sold such as wood carvings and precious stones. They even played a few games like horseshoe and chess, which Ivy won every game of. We also stopped and observed the training of my warriors in the arena, practicing their skills for when the time came when they needed to be used to kill. Oliver especially enjoyed watching them fight, asking questions about the weapons and how you become a warrior. He seemed interested in the thrill of the fight.

"I need to go and watch my novitiates train," I told Oliver, "you can come and watch if you'd like."

"Your novitiates?" He questioned.