The One True Commander [BOOK 1]

Chapter 15: Peace turns into hostility

"Urgh," I grunted as I hit the ground.

"That looked like that hurt," Cree commented, smiling at me sprawled on the ground.

I coughed at the sudden expulsion of air, "yes, yes it did," I managed to splutter out.

Cree offered his hand and I took it and got back up to my feet. I dusted my self off and picked up my fighting stick that had landed a few feet away from me when Cree had kicked me in the stomach.

"Let's go again," I took a strong grip on my fighting stick.

"Okay," Cree did the same.

Cree swung at my head and I ducked swiftly. Then I jabbed at his abdomen and he blocked and we danced in a rhythm of well placed blocks and jabs. This went on for quite sometime until I smacked at Cree's unguarded leg. He fell on one knee and I whacked at his hand containing his stick and he dropped it. With him with no weapon and vulnerable, I hit him upwards in the chin, sending him onto his back. I spun my stick and leaned on it, watching Cree cough and splutter.

"You good?" I laughed, finally holding out my hand.

"Your doing this on purpose now," Cree took my hand and got back on his feet. "This is getting ridiculous, you have broken my nose and hit me in every possible place, I feel like an old man!" He touched his chin in pain and wiped away the little line of blood trickling down from his mouth.

I chuckled and gave him a smug look, "I have too, and your face is just so punchable."

"Oh, how very nice," Cree sarcastically responded.

"Natblidas, that will be all today, do not forget the lesson with the commander after midday," Titus announced to us from where he looked over us as we trained.

Cree and I placed our fighting sticks back in weapon storage at the edge of the arena and headed straight for the food hall for lunch

***

"So, what do you think the lesson today is going to be about?" I asked Cree as we dumped some food on our plates, a little bit more than usual as we had to miss breakfast as a punishment to showing up "muddy and immature" in front of the ambassadors.

Cree grabbed a cup of water, "properly just the same old commander stuff."

"great," I sat down on a free table in the corner of the food hall. Gazing around the hall, I noticed it was busier than usual, guards and warriors alike. "There are many more people in here today," i gestured to the many people eating and drinking.

Cree looked up from his chicken, "oh yeah, wonder why."

I picked at my chicken, "probably extra security," I suggested.

"Yeah, but for what?" Cree said in a concerned voice.

Hesitantly I looked around the room without looking, "there are no Azgeda warriors in here."

Cree shot his head, looking.

"No, Cree! Look without looking!" I whispered-shouted.

"Oh yeah, sorry," he looked without looking. "Yeah, your right."

"Let's hope no shit goes down," I continued to eat.

"Yeah, I have had enough of Azgeda," Cree chuckled.

For the rest of lunch we talked and joked with each other and later on, Eden and Atlas joined us. As we ate, the warriors left all armed and dangerous, it was a little concerning.

After we had eaten, we left the food hall and headed up the lift to the throne room for our lesson with heda. As we walked down the corridors there were no guards which was very unusual because heda was always heavily guarded. When the four of us reached the doors to the throne room, the other natblidas were waiting there.