The One True Commander [BOOK 1]

Chapter 6: Ascension day

My eyes began to open as I came around from sleep. Outside, I could hear the busy streets of Polis begin to come alive. Then I realised what day it was. It was ascension day, my favourite day of the year. And this year will be even better, because Cree would join me and Ivory while we celebrated and played games. I leapt out of bed, excitedly and skipped over to Cree's bed. Of course, I was the first to wake so it was my responsibility to be an annoying alarm clock.

I smiled, mischievously. "Cree. Get up, it's ascension day." I said quietly, trying to only wake him up but he lay there, unmoving still asleep.

"Cree. Come on." I shook his bed and still no answer. Getting impatient, I decided to try something different.

"CREE GET YOUR LAZY ASS UP RIGHT NOW!" I shouted and Cree shot his eyes open and fell out of bed at the sudden fright. He fell on the wooden floor and groaned.

"Y/N, you scared the shit out of me!" He mumbled while trying to get back up but he slipped on his fur cover.

My little shout made everyone wide awake and out of their beds.

"Damn Y/N, don't do that," Wren said, rubbing his eyes.

I laughed, "sorry, but you don't want to be late for ascension day."

"Oh yeah, we better be quick." Cree finally got up from the ground and started to get ready.

"Yeah, we don't want to be late again." I thought back to the commander telling us that if we were late for anything again, the punishment will be bad. I shrugged the thought off and got dressed.

***

"We gather here on this ascension day, to honour the commanders that came before me. Those who live on within me, as I will live on in one of you." Heda's gaze landed on all eight of us novitiates as she finished her sentence.

We were in the throne room, where all twelve ambassadors sat to honour ascension day. Me and the other nightbloods held a candle in our hands to honour our blood and life. We stood in a line to the right of the throne, listening to heda's speech.

"Today, we also honour the first commander, Becca Pramheda. Who many years ago, became the first commander." The commander bowed her head. "To the past commanders and to those who will rule after."

"To the past commanders and to those who will rule after." We all spoke in unison, bowing our heads.

Titus stepped down from his position beside the commander. "Natblidas, follow me to the holy room of the commanders, to start the second part of the ritual."

We blew out our candles and followed the flamekeeper to the room of the commanders.

The big wooden doors opened, to reveal the dimly lit room. It was decorated with candles and the sacred symbol hung up on the wall, giving me a happy feeling.  A big metal object sat in the centre of the room, they say Becca fell from the sky in that mysterious object and the city was named after the object. Big, blue letters decorated the side of the object saying "Polis". We stood in a line in front of the drawing of Becca Pramheda, standing tall, the first hope of our people.

"I honour you, Becca Pramheda. The first commander." Heda walked up to the shrine, decorated with candles and weird metal objects. She grabbed a handful of red sand and sprinkled it over the shrine.

This was the ritual we had to complete every year on ascension day. Seven walked up to the shrine and repeated what the commander did.

"I honour you, Becca Pramheda. The first commander." The red sand landed on the shrine in a shower of red.