of blood and lies ; dystopian

12

Past

"That's enough for today. You are free to go back to your rooms." I tucked two guns into the back of my leather pants. In front of me, thirty Anaka stared up at me.

They all looked the same. Their pure eyes were wide, fear swimming through various hues. All of the children before me were panting. Most of the last hour had been spent running from my bullets.

I felt like a mother. They looked up to me, so afraid, yet so needing. My Anaka would not receive a superior until they turned the age of thirteen and stopped training with me. They would leave for a Career and have someone else to look up to. But, for now, I was theirs.

My Anaka did not look at me like I was the Commander of the War Sector. The people of The Blood had a glint in their eyes when they looked at me. Fear, thankfully. Generals reported to me and everyone beneath them to Generals. I reported to the Murthaa and only the Murthaa. I planned to find a way to fix that, too.

I did not view the Anaka as the steps to power. They were my children in a way, and I refused to ruin that.

They loved me, no matter how angry I got. No matter how many bullets I sprayed in their direction, they would forever love and trust me. I wasn't the Commander to them. I wasn't 6657 or the woman I'd constructed to deceive Karro.

I was Naga. I was all they had, besides themselves.

It was terribly dangerous for them to love me in the way that they did. It made them weak. It made me weak. I hated that I loved them, too.

"Naga! Naga!" A young girl ran toward me. I crouched low, preparing for her aggressive hug. She did this after every class. She loved physical touch.

9637. She was one of my favorites. "Naga, look at this," she exclaimed, shoving a little box toward me. There rest of my Anaka surrounded us, anticipation dripping from their eyes as I reached for the small box.

I smiled and looked around. They looked so happy. Because of me. It felt surreal, especially given I'd been shooting at them a few minutes prior.

I opened the box. A small silver necklace glinted from the bright lights of our training room. It was a small snake, hanging from a silver chain. I looked up at my Anaka with a narrowed gaze. I looked at all of them.

Jewelry was forbidden with The Blood. It was too personal.

"Where did you get this, 9637?" I held the necklace up into the lighting. I wondered if I could use it as a bookmark. The Murthaa rarely came into my corridors.

9637 collapsed in front of me. She folded her legs beneath her. She was eight, maybe; one of my older children. I did not know my own age, let alone theirs.

When promoted to Commander, I'd been assigned all of the children under the age of thirteen. There were more in the other sectors, but for War, I had thirty.

The youngest in my class was three. The eldest twelve. I would lose 8374 soon, once she turned thirteen she would be off with a General, training for a career.

"We found it on the playground," 9377 explained. She sat beside 9637, gesturing toward the necklace. I scanned the group of children in front of me. They fidgeted, eagerly awaiting what I would say about the necklace.

I sat on the floor in the center of the Anaka. 3743, one of my younger children, climbed into my lap. I wrapped my arms around her, holding onto her trembling body. I looked back up at 9673; she was old enough to know that jewelry was forbidden in The Blood.

"We wanted you to have it. It's a snake. They are smart. Just like you." I moved my gaze to the child who just spoke. 4738. He rarely spoke, only when forced to. I never forced him to, though; I had been the same way.